Chuck vs the Other Best Friend
by SummerWolfCub
Summary: What if Chuck wasn't the only one that saw the email from Bryce. Can there be two intersects? Better summary inside. Eventually CaseyOC.
1. Chuck vs The Intersect

Disclaimer: I don't own the amazing show Chuck, or any characters appearing on it. I do own Bela though. Points for that at least?

A/N: Okay guys, so this is my version of Chuck. The episodes are pretty much the same, but I've added another character: Bela (Isabela) Tiernan. She's the same age and height as Chuck, with chestnut hair about the same length as Ellie's. And that's Bela for you. She went to Stanford with Chuck and Bryce, she currently works at the Buy More and spends far too much time with Chuck and Morgan. Oh, did I mention this is eventually going to be Bela/Casey? Well now I have. There'll still be Chuck/Sarah but it's gonna be focusing mainly on the other two. Please review!

**I've also edited these first few chapters just to fix a few things here and there.**

Will be rated M in later chapters, but of course I'll let you know before and when that happens.

* * *

"Morgan this is a bad idea," Chuck says, sitting against the wall of his room.

"Well we can't stay here Chuck," his friend replies, securing the bed sheet rope to the window.

"You guys are idiots," Bela says from Chuck's bed. She flips another page of one of Chuck's comics, illuminating the words with her flash light.

"I'm uncomfortable with the plan," Chuck says, shaking his head at her.

"Plan, what plan? This is survival," he says as a loud knocking on the door interrupts them.

"Busted," smirks Bela.

"That's her, we've been compromised," Morgan says, jumping out the window.

"Morgan you can't leave me like this, you can't do this to me man," Chuck says as Ellie walks in, flicking the light on.

"Chuck, what are you doing?" Ellie asks, hand on her hip.

"I tried to stop them," Bela says half heartedly, shining the torch at Ellie before switching it off. "I really did."

"Chuck?" Ellie asks after smirking at Bela.

"Uhh escaping?" he answers.

"From your own birthday party?"

"Hey Ellie!" Morgan calls, hanging from the sheet rope outside the window. "Wow, you look fan-tastic."

"Uh you know sis, the thing is, Bela, Morgan and I-"

"Oh, don't drag me into this," Bela interrupts, watching the boys with amusement.

"Okay, Morgan and I don't really feel like we're fitting in, at _my_ birthday party 'cause we don't know anybody 'cause they're all your friends and they all happen to be doctors," Chuck explains awkwardly from the floor.

"Yeah, doctors who don't really get our jokes," Morgan chimes in, still trying to hang on to the sheet.

"Well, your jokes," Chuck says.

"Okay, _my_ jokes."

Ellie sighs.

"Chuck, I have invited real, live women for you. So please, let's go. Morgan you stay here," she says, before pausing and pulling Bela along with her. "It wouldn't hurt _you_ to look either. Lots of Devon's friends are here."

"Oh, _awesome_!" she says, rolling her eyes at Chuck before the door closes, leaving the boys alone.

"Need a hand buddy?" Chuck asks Morgan, standing up.

"No, no I'm good," he replies, standing on the solid ground outside the window.

"Okay," says Ellie while pushing Chuck out into the crowd. "We're gonna be social. You are funny, you are smart, and you are handsome."

"Thank you," Chuck says half heartedly, smirking at Bela on his left.

"Oh, there's Captain Awesome," Bela grins, trying to cheer him up.

"Please don't call him that," Ellie says as they reach him.

"Okay, I've identified some candidates for Chuck," he says, as Ellie and Bela stay back. "And they are awesome."

"Hey, I wanted to watch," laughs Bela as Ellie hands her a beer.

"You're not helping. We're trying to get him a girlfriend Bela don't you want that for him?" Ellie asks, slowly walking towards Devon.

"Sure, if we find someone who can stand him."

"And have you found someone that can stand you, yet?" Ellie smiles, before adding, "for more than an hour or two, that is?"

Bela snorts before taking a sip of her beer.

"Anything more than those couple of hours and it just gets complicated," she explains. "Talking's involved, exchanging of numbers... _cuddling_."

"You can be so strange at times," Ellie laughs as they make their way over to Devon.

"How's he going?" Ellie asks.

"Not awesome," he replies, watching Chuck realize he was standing there talking to no one.

"Oh boy," Bela sighs.

* * *

"Don't say it," Chuck says, pulling the tape off of his fingers. "Just… don't say it."

"I wasn't planning on it," Bela says, sitting next to him as Ellie joins them.

"Thanks for my party," he says as she hands him a beer. "Your seven layer dip; tasted like eight."

"Chuck can I tell you something?" she asks, sitting next to him.

"It really was eight layers?" he teases, causing Bela to laugh softly.

"Even though we may ask, no woman really wants to hear about an old girlfriend," she says, Bela mumbling in agreement. "It's depressing, okay? Stanford was five years ago you need to move on. It's time-"

"Do we really need to have this conversation again?" he asks annoyed.

"We've rehearsed it enough," Ellie says smiling.

"Alright, well, I'll get over Jill tomorrow," he says, standing up and leaving. Bela turns to say something to him just as Morgan sits down between them.

"Ladies; seems like everyone had a pretty good time huh? I know I did. It was… super."

"Morgan, c'mon," sighs Bela standing up.

"Bela," he whispers, tilting his head at Ellie.

"I _know_. That's why you're coming to see Chuck," she growls, pulling him up. Ellie mouths a thank you at her as she pushes him along.

"You're a real mood killer, you know that?" he mumbles, causing her to laugh.

"I am what I am," she smirks, following him into Chuck's room. They make themselves comfortable, Morgan unpausing a video game from earlier as Bela flops across Chuck's bed.

"Why can't I talk to women? It's a curse," Chuck sighs.

"Cheer up Chuck you can talk to some women; like Bela here," Morgan says, gesturing to her as she watches Morgan play the video game. "You know that's a start."

"I don't know whether to be offended or not," she says, looking up at Chuck.

"It's Morgan, just go with your instincts," he mumbles.

"Then I'm offended," she decides, whacking Morgan lightly on the back of the head.

"Ow!" he complains, glancing at Chuck's computer. "Wow; blast from the past wow. Bryce remembered your birthday dude."

"What?" both Chuck and Bela say in unison.

"The guy that got you kicked out of school, the guy who stole your girl and broke Bela's heart, remember that guy?" Morgan jokes as Bela and Chuck move over to the computer.

"Yeah Morgan I think I remember Bryce," Chuck says, leaning over the computer as Bela watches from the bed.

"And he didn't break my heart," Bela snorts, scratching her neck nervously before the two slowly turn to look at her. "Not completely, maybe chipped a few bits here and there..."

"Alright well, what have we got here?" Morgan asks, turning back to the screen as Chuck opens the email.

**The terrible troll raises his sword** comes up on the screen, making Bela laugh.

"What is it?" asks Morgan.

"Zork, remember Zork the all text based video game?" he asks, Morgan nodding.

"Bryce and Chuck programmed their own version of it back at Stanford using the TRS 80," Bela smiles.

"Wow, you guys were really cool," says Morgan shaking his head.

"Yeah if I could only remember what was in my hero satchel," Chuck says, earning a look from Morgan. "The weapons that I would use to kill the terrible troll."

"Right… you know what you're still really cool," Morgan lies, smirking at Bela.

"And uh you're going home," he says.

"Is it that time?"

"It's that time," nods Chuck.

"Okay," says Morgan, walking to the door.

"Peddle safe!" Bela calls after him, moving to sit in the computer chair. Chuck smiles at her for a moment before turning back to the computer.

"Attack troll with nasty knife," he says, typing it in. Bela watches as he hits Return.

"What…" she whispers as they stare at the screen, billions of images flashing in front of them. They stay in the same position until light enters the room, the beeping of Chuck's alarm sounding as they both fall to the floor.

* * *

"Guys," a deep voice says. Chuck yawns, feeling a weight on his chest.

"Guys," it repeats, stirring them awake.

"Morgan?" asks Chuck, staring into the grinning face of his friend.

"What did you guys do?" he smirks, Chuck realizing the weight on his chest was Bela. "Did you guys ruin the friendship with sex?"

"What? No-no!" he says, sitting up slowly. Bela mumbles something before opening her eyes.

"Morgan, what the hell?" she yelps, her arm flinging out and hitting Chuck in the chest. He groans.

"Chuck?" she asks, just as surprised.

"How much did you guys drink after I left?" Morgan asks, helping Bela to stand.

"No, nothing," Chuck says, staring at her.

"Morgan I swear to God if you spiked my drink," she starts.

"What? Relax, that was one time _and_ an accident," he says as they walk out. "And I only spiked the punch last night, you just drank beer."

"Sure," she says, shaking her head.

"I'm gonna head home, you've got the Herder right?" she asks and Chuck nods. "Alright, pick me up in ten?"

"Yeah," he nods quickly, rubbing his eyes.

* * *

"Chuck," says Bela, jogging out of her house. "We need to talk."

"I knew something happened!" yells Morgan, making her jump.

"Damn it Morgan don't do that!" she growls.

"Look guys, I have a splitting headache would you cut it out for five minutes," he says. "Actually Bela, can you drive today?"

Bela shakes her head as she throws her jacket in the backseat.

"Chuck I can't. We must be getting the same thing or something because I have a killer headache and I really, _really_ can't drive today," she says, leaning against the car. He sighs, tossing the keys to Morgan.

"Are you serious, you're gonna let me drive?" he asks.

"It's a company car Morgan, it's not that big of deal," Chuck says, watching Bela groan as she crawls across the backseat, pulling the door shut behind her.

"Is she okay?" Morgan asks, opening the driver's side door.

"I don't know, just do me a favor and stay off the five okay? 'Cause the cops are in a phased … deployment," he says. Bela springs up, staring at him with the same look as Morgan.

"What did you just say?" she asks.

"I-"

"Okay. Thanks for the tip Ponch," Morgan says as they get in the car.

"We _really_ need to talk later," Bela stresses before they take off.

* * *

"Fellow nerds, today is going to be a very bad day; we've got a new computer virus on our hands. They're calling this one the Irene Demova virus," Chuck says, causing Lester to laugh.

"Yes, yes it's named after the Serbian porn star. Lonely dude call volume will be high this is a nasty one kids, it's a computer killer."

"Last night, a display version of our Prism Express laptop was fried when _someone_," he says, glancing at Morgan, "decided to enter Miss Demova's website, Bela and Anna close the eyes; this is what happens," Chuck says, pressing the enter button on the laptop. It plays her website briefly before shutting down.

"Morgan, gross," Bela says, looking over at him.

"I'm sorry guys, she drives me crazy," he says. "But that's love."

"Ladies and gentlemen if you'll please just ignore dirty Uncle Morgan, I think that everything..." he starts, the TV catching his eye. "Will be... normal."

"He's already here, he landed last night," Chuck says, staring at the TV. Bela frowns, looking up from the burnt out laptop.

"Who's already here, Chuckles?" asks Anna. Chuck stares at her before looking into Bela's confused eyes.

"I don't know," he says slowly.

* * *

"Stop the presses, who is that?" Morgan asks causing Bela to look up.

"So out of your league," she laughs, writing something down. Morgan ignores her, turning to Chuck.

"Vicki Vale."

"Vicki Vale, Vick va Vicki Vale Vickity Vicki Vale," Chuck sings before noticing the blonde female customer at the counter. Morgan and Bela stare at him in disbelief.

"I hope I'm not interrupting," she smiles as he drops the phone.

"No, not at all," he says, glancing at Bela. "That's from Batman."

"'Cause that makes it better," the woman says, making Bela laugh.

"Uh, hi, I'm uh Morgan and this is Chuck. The mean one there is Bela," he adds, earning a smack on the arm.

"Wow, I didn't think parents still named their kids Chuck. Or Morgan for that matter," she says.

"My parents were sadists," Chuck says. "And carnival freaks found him in a dumpster."

"But they raised me as one of their own," Morgan adds.

"Idiots," Bela smirks shaking her head.

"How can I help you...?"

"Sarah," she smiles.

"...Sarah," Chuck nods.

"I'm here about this," she says, sitting her phone on the counter.

"Oh yeah the Intel Cell yeah, absolutely, uh this model has a little screw that pops loose right in the back here," he says, putting the battery in. "You just go ahead and give it a few quick turns and good as new. No problem."

"Wow," Sarah says as he hands her phone back. "You geeks are good."

Bela shakes her head as Morgan and Chuck explain their preference for the word 'nerd' as another customer runs up.

"Excuse me, excuse me I have an emergency I don't know what I did wrong. I shot the entire recital, but now it won't play back," the man says, handing Chuck his camcorder.

"Okay, okay, we'll just take a look and... you don't have tape in here."

"But it's digital," he says.

"Right, yes but you still need digital tape," Chuck says.

"Oh no... Oh her mom's gonna kill me," he says, Chuck glancing at the man's daughter then Sarah.

"Uh, Morgan I need the wall," he says.

"It's yours."

"I'm so sorry," Chuck says to Sarah, gesturing to the other customers to follow him.

"What's he doing?" Sarah asks Bela, both women watching as Chuck sets up the camera.

"It looks like he's going to film her," she says. They both watch as a crowd gathers around the wall.

"Does he always do things like this?" Sarah asks, clapping as the girl finishes dancing. Bela looks up at her.

"Yeah, he's... Chuck, what can I say?" she laughs as Sarah smiles at him across the room. He's stopped by Tang before he reaches her.

"He looks busy, can I leave him this?" she asks, handing Bela her card.

"Of course... you don't want to wait? He won't be long."

"Oh no that's fine. I have an appointment," she smiles.

"Okay. I'll make sure he gets this," Bela says before Sarah leaves.

Chuck rushes up a few moments later.

"She left?" he asks, looking around.

"Relax; here. She left you her card," she smirks, handing it to him.

He stares down at it, a goofy grin making it's way onto his face.

* * *

"No I've been through it," says Lester. "It's dead; totally fried. This hard drive was... murdered."

"Thank you Lester," says Chuck, staring at the remains of his computer.

"Yeah."

"What if you were the target of a ninja vendetta and he returns tonight to strangle you with his nun chucks," Jeff says.

"That's super Jeff. Thanks for thinking outside the box on that one. And here I thought I couldn't get anymore freaked out," Chuck says before Jeff winks at him. His grin disappears as he winks at him again with the opposite eye just as Bela walks in.

"Someone really did kill your computer," she says.

"I'm gonna go buy some more locks next door at Large Mart," he says, grabbing Bela's arm and pulling her along with him.

"Wow, okay-alright," she says, pulling her arm out of his grip as she follows.

"We're talking. _Now_," Chuck says on the way.

"Here, in public?" she asks, looking around.

"Well you weren't home last night and you wouldn't answer the number of calls I tried to make to you!" he says becoming annoyed.

"I'm sorry, I had a date," she apologises.

"Damn it, Bela!" he sighs, exasperated.

"What happened to your computer, Chuck?" she asks slowly.

"Bela ever since that email from Bryce... whatever he sent me..."

"It's been screwing with my mind," she finishes. "I've been having these... flashes... of pictures. And things that I'd never even care about before, I _know_ about. Chuck what's happening?" she asks. He shakes his head, resting his hand on her shoulder as they enter Large Mart.

"I have no idea," he sighs, turning down an aisle. He looks around.

"Where is everyone?" she asks frowning. They walk down another aisle, spotting a man in a leather jacket.

"Oh thank God," says Chuck. "Uh excuse me sir, do you know where those..."

He pauses, feeling Bela grab his hand as images of the man suddenly flash through their heads.

"What do you want?" Vuc asks them.

"Nothing, sorry," Bela apologizes, quickly pulling Chuck away.

"Did you just flash on him?" Chuck whispers in her ear. She nods, quickly looking behind them.

"What's wrong with us?" she asks, pausing as they hear a clang of a tool being picked up behind them. They take a couple of steps, hearing him follow.

"Chuck," Bela whispers as he grips her hand tighter. They stop again, hearing him set the tool down. Chuck sighs before hearing the distinctive click of a loaded nail gun. He looks back, turning around quickly once he sees Vuc staring right at them.

"Bela run," he growls, pulling her along with him before stopping a few feet as a convoy of forklifts beep past them.

"Damn it," she hisses after glancing behind them again. Vuc was getting closer.

"C'mon!" Chuck says as the forklifts pass, running into one of the workers a few aisles down.

"Oh! Oh my God, thank God listen; there's a guy here he's trying to do... something I don't know, you have to call the cops, security," Bela gasps.

"Uh huh, what kind of guy?" the woman asks.

"Scary kind of Terminator vibe, stubble, red hair," Chuck says.

"Black leather jacket?"

"Yes, yes!" Chuck says as she points behind him.

"Like that guy?"

Bela and Chuck look at Vuc who was laughing with the cashier about something, looking like any other person, completely normal. The woman just walks away, leaving them there confused.

"What?" Chuck whispers, looking at Bela. She shakes her head, neither of them noticing Luc glancing at them before leaving, a gun clearly visible inside his leather jacket.

* * *

"I'm losing my mind, I'm losing my mind, I'm losing my mind," Chuck mumbles to himself as the service bell rings.

"Morgan not now," he says, placing his hand over the bell. He looks up after feeling a woman's hand under his, immediately pulling it back when he sees Sarah.

"Hi, hi! Uh, phone trouble again?" he asks, getting his screwdriver out of his pocket.

"Uh, yeah I'm not sure I'm able to receive calls 'cause I never got one from you," she smiles. Chuck glares at Morgan behind him, sending him away.

"I'm sorry I left so quickly yesterday I had an appointment with a realtor, I just moved here," she says.

"Welcome!" smiles Chuck, putting his screwdriver back.

"Thanks. And uh, I don't really know anyone here. I was wondering if you would show me around?" she asks. "That is, if you're free."

"Oh he's free; he's got nothing but time on his hands he is _very_ available, you guys are gonna have a great time!" Morgan calls from behind the desk. Chuck turns to glare at him before Bela drags him away, shooting Sarah and Chuck an apologetic look.

"Apparently my schedule is wide open," Chuck smiles.

"Great," Sarah nods, grinning.

* * *

"Hey guys," says Ellie from the couch when Chuck walks in with Bela.

"Ellie, Captain don't freak out, remain calm; I have some news," he says.

"Chuck's got a date!" yells Morgan, running through the door and jumping on him.

"What? Who?" Ellie asks, sitting up.

"Way to go Chuck," says Devon. "That's awesome."

"Oh God, what are you gonna wear?" Ellie asks.

"Ehh," Chuck says, shrugging. She sighs, Morgan climbing off of him.

"C'mon," she says, dragging Chuck up the hall, Morgan following. Bela stands there watching the TV, before glancing at Devon.

"How was your day?" she asks, already knowing the answer.

He looks up, grinning. "Awesome."

"Awesome," she nods. "I'm gonna go help Ellie."

"So Sarah, she's nice? Pretty?" Ellie asks, getting out a shirt for Chuck.

"Yeah actually Morgan met her online, in this sort of chat room... I'm totally kidding," Chuck smirks at Ellie's horrified face.

"Try it on," she says, handing him a shirt.

"Honestly this..." Chuck starts.

"It's great," smiles Bela, walking in.

"We're girls, we know what girls like," Ellie says.

"I'll go try it on," says Chuck, grabbing the shirt before Bela stops him. "I'm heading off. Have a great time," she smiles, pulling him into a hug.

"I'll see you later," he smiles.

* * *

"Chuck, hey!" calls Ellie, catching him before he leaves. She hands him a bouquet of flowers. "So these are left over from the party, take those with you."

"And don't forget about the old girlfriend rule," she adds, fixing his shirt.

"Right, got it, no mention of Jill," he says.

"Aces, Charles," she grins. "You're aces."

"A dad quote I'm impressed," he smiles back. "Love you sis."

"I love you, have fun," she smiles.

"I will, I'll try," he says, leaving.

"They just... grow up so fast y'know?" asks Morgan, moving closer to Ellie.

"Go home Morgan," she says, screwing her face up. "Just go home, go home."

* * *

"So, where are we going?" Sarah asks as they walk down the sidewalk.

"Well, do you like music?" he asks.

"I guess."

"You guess?" he laughs. "What's your favorite band?"

"Oh my gosh, oh my gosh," he smiles when she can't think of anything.

"God I'm not funny, I don't listen to music; this must be your worst date ever, right?" she jokes. Chuck doesn't answer as he pauses on top of the bridge, looking down at the police bikes as he flashes on Vuc and the General again.

"I was waiting for you to say no," she says. Chuck slowly turns back to her.

"Sorry, sorry I kind of zoned out there for a second. No, no no no God no, I uh I've had much worse dates, experiences over all with women; in eleventh grade actually..."

"Eleventh grade; Oh you have to go back that far?" Sarah laughs as they continue across the bridge.

* * *

"They're good," Sarah says about the band, smiling at Chuck.

"Good," he grins back. "Good."

Sarah looks over his shoulder, noticing some men in suits looking around.

"Let's dance," she says, pulling him up.

"I'm not really a dancer," Chuck says, but goes along with her anyway.

He swallows nervously as she rubs up against him, kneeling down and throwing one of the blades hidden under her pants leg at an agent. It hits him in the arm, pinning him to the wall.

Sarah continues to dance with Chuck as more agents approach them. She pulls the poison tipped chopsticks out of her hair, letting it down; Chuck looks up at the ceiling, letting out a breath as she throws them behind her, hitting two agents in the legs, bringing them down instantly.

Standing behind him, she slides her hands down his butt and legs, getting another blade out and stabbing an agent in the arm before kicking him back, sliding under Chuck's legs. She holds her hands up and he grabs them, pulling her up grinning before she pulls him with her.

"Chuck, give me your keys," she says, pulling a jacket on as they make their way to Herder.

"I don't mean to be old fashion, but the company only wants employee-nerds driving the Nerd Herd mobile; I mean it's kind of y'know," he says, holding his keys up. Sarah doesn't wait, picking the lock herself and climbing in.

"Get in the car," she says.

"How'd you get into my car?" he asks as Casey and two more agents speed around the corner.

"Get in the car right now!" she yells and he jumps in.

"What is going on?" he asks as she reverses down the street, Casey following them. Chuck looks out the back window, freaking out.

"Sarah you're not even looking!" he yells, seeing her staring out the front window. "W-wait, who are these guys, what do they want?"

Casey's car gains on them, the headlights glaring.

"Oh my God!" Chuck yells as they ram them. "Oh my God!"

"Oh my God, I'm gonna die," he gasps.

"Tell me when to turn," Sarah says, staring at Casey as they ram into them again.

"Uh, uh, uh left in five seconds!" Chuck says.

"Your left or my left?"

"What?" he asks confused.

"Too late," she says, turning the wheel right, causing them to go flying backwards down a flight of stairs.

"Whoa," says a stoner kid, watching them go. "Computer emergency."

Chuck shakes his head when they stop moving.

"Listen to me Chuck those men will hurt you; they're from the NSA and they're after you," Sarah says, facing him.

"Me? Why? Wa-wai-wait why me; I'm nobody?" he stammers. "I'm the supervisor of a Nerd Herd at a Buy More. Maybe one day I'll be assistant store manager and I don't even know if I want that job."

"You know what that's not your problem," he sighs, and then looks out the window, headlights speeding towards them. He points, "But that is."

The other car smashes into them, causing the air bags to inflate. Once the car stops skidding, they climb out; running as Casey's car heads back.

Chuck trips over some of the wreckage, falling to the ground. The car turns off course from Chuck, heading straight for Sarah now.

"Sarah look out!" Chuck yells. She kneels down, getting another blade out and throwing it at the button for the emergency blockade. It goes up just in time and the car smashes into the posts. Chuck runs up to her as she gets out her phone.

"Request emergency air vac, track location, we're on foot," she says then hangs up.

"Let's go!" she yells, pulling Chuck with her towards a tall building.

"How well do you know Bryce Larkin?" she asks as they reach the roof.

"What? How do you-how do you know Bryce?" he pants, following her.

"We worked together at the CIA."

"What, the CIA; Bryce is a spy? Bryce Larkin from Connecticut is a spy?"

"A rogue spy," she yells. "Did he try to contact you?"

"I haven't heard from Bryce in the longest... wait; no he sent me an email."

"Did you open it?"

"Yeah, it was a line from Zork," he says.

"What?"

"Zork; it's a video game we used to play, it was like a riddle and I solved it and then there was pictures; lots and lots of pictures."

"You saw them?" she asks, his mind immediately going to Bela. He doesn't answer.

"Your computer, did you back it up; is there an external drive?" she asks.

"It crashed a week ago, wha-wait hold on a sec, was I not supposed to look at those pictures?" he asks as Sarah looks behind him.

"Okay, I may have to point my gun at you, so just don't freak out."

"Why?" he asks as Casey walks behind him.

"It's late, I'm tired. Let's cut the crap and give him to me _now_," he says. "He belongs to the NSA."

Sarah quickly aims her gun at Chuck. "CIA gets him first."

Casey draws his gun, aiming it at Sarah as Chuck freaks out.

"You come any closer and I shoot," she says.

"Sarah," Chuck manages to say. "I'm freaking out."

"You shoot him I shoot you; I leave both your bodies here and go out for a late snack. I'm thinking maybe pancakes," Casey says.

Chuck looks between the two for a moment before turning and running.

"Chuck, no!" Sarah yells as he pauses. Images of Vuc Andric, the General, the bomb, and then an explosion flash through his head again.

They edge towards him, before he quickly turns around.

"They're gonna kill him," he says.

"Kill who?" Casey asks.

"Stanfield! Ah, the General, the General Stanfield, the NATO guy," he says. When no one answers him he sighs. "Look something is wrong with me okay? I don't know what it is but something is very, very wrong with me and I'm remembering things that I shouldn't know."

"Okay Chuck," says Sarah. "Talk to me; like what?"

"I don't know, I don't know for example there was a Serbian demolitions expert at Large Mart today. That's kind of odd, wouldn't you say?" he asks.

"Large Mart? You were there with Bela, does she know?"

"Who's Bela?" asks Casey. "Is she a threat?"

"No!" yells Chuck. "No, she-she doesn't know anything. Look, last week the NSA, you guys intercepted some blueprints; blueprints of a hotel, _that _hotel. And then the CIA you guys found a file of schematics of a bomb in Prague. The bomb is in that hotel!"

Casey turns his gun of Chuck causing Sarah to aim it at Casey.

"He was working with Bryce," he says.

"No; he opened Bryce's email," she explains. "Chuck those pictures that you saw were encoded with secrets, Governments secrets; if you saw them then you know them."

"There were thousands of them," he says.

"Wait a minute; you're telling me all of our secrets are in his head," Casey says, aiming his gun at Chuck's forehead.

"Chuck _is_ the computer," Sarah says.

"Wait, what did you say; what does that mean?" he asks, his mind slipping back to Bela again.

"You have to listen to me, you have to tell us where the bomb-"

"What is happening to me?" Chuck yells.

"You said there was a bomb, is there time to stop it?" she asks.

"What-what are you crazy?" Chuck yells.

"No we're the good guys; we get payed to keep bombs from exploding," Casey says.

"Look I can't-I can't help you okay, I really wish that I could but I can't. Call Bryce, he's the guy that can save the day."

"Bryce is dead!" Sarah yells. "He died sending those secrets to you."

"Bryce is dead?" Chuck asks.

Casey gets impatient and fires a shot into the air before aiming it at Chuck again.

"Yeah and he's gonna have a lot of company unless you start talking. So pretty please, can we diffuse the bomb now?" Casey asks.

"According to the schedule, the General's already on the stage," Chuck says.

* * *

The three run into the hotel until Sarah stops Chuck.

"Wait, Casey wait we can't take him in he's too valuable," she says and Casey pushes him to the ground.

"Okay Chuck, you stay here but you tell us where to go," he says.

"The easiest way?" he asks from the floor.

"No the fastest Chuck," she says.

"The fastest, got it," Chuck says before getting up and sprinting past them, through the fountain.

"Chuck stop!" Sarah yells as they chase after him. "Chuck wait!"

"Oh my God," Chuck says, shielding his eyes as he runs into the men's steam room.

"Bomb's ticking Chuck," Casey says.

"Which way?" asks Sarah. He looks around before pointing past the lockers.

"This way, this way," he says, before adding "Sorry that was a lot of genitalia."

Chuck leads them down another hall before they run into the conference room.

"Chuck, where is it?" Sarah asks as they look around the room.

"I don't uh, I don't uh-" he stutters before spotting it. "That's it."

Casey grabs him and pushes him forward.

"Uh, right here," Chuck says as they reach the bomb, the laptop flipping open. One minute and twenty eight seconds counted down on the screen.

"No time to evacuate, ideas?" Casey asks.

"Disconnect the laptop," Sarah says.

"Installed a trigger, cables?"

"No definitely a trap," she says as security run up to them.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?" one of them asks and Casey quickly explains the situation. They clear the room as Sarah turns back around.

"Chuck is there anything else you remember about the bomb?" she asks. He comes up with nothing as his phone rings, which he slowly takes out of his pocket.

"Hey Morgan," he answers as Casey and Sarah go back to the bomb.

"Hey how's it going?"

"A little busy right now buddy."

"In a good way? Details," Morgan asks.

"Why are you calling?" he sighs.

"I don't know just laying on your bed, Ellie's with the captain, Bela's gone out, and your computer's got a case of the Demova's too-" he says before Chuck hangs up on him. He kneels in front of the bomb.

"Okay I have an idea," he says but Casey stops him.

"That's not an Xbox, and you're not an X-man," he says.

"I understand that, this is a Prism Express laptop, we sell this at our store; it has a DOS overwrite," he explains, looking at Sarah.

"I think I can do this, I can do this please."

"He's our best shot," Sarah says to Casey, who releases his hand.

"Mr Bomb, meet Mr Internet," Chuck says, typing Irene Demova into the search engine.

"You're searching for porn?" Casey asks.

Chuck clicks Return before squeezing his eyes shut as her website pops up. The seconds tick down before reaching zero, just as the computer is fried.

"You did it," says Sarah.

"I did it, I did it," Chuck grins. "I diffused a real bomb. W-what if I was wrong?"

Chuck takes a couple of deep breathes as he pales considerably.

"Don't puke on the C-4," Casey says, standing up.

* * *

"He's coming with me," Sarah and Casey say at the same time.

"What if this was a fluke?" he asks.

"And what if it wasn't? What if he can stop something bigger?" she asks.

"Fine we'll drop him in a psych tank let him stare at four rubber walls for a decade," he says as Chuck walks up the sidewalk towards them. "He'll tell us what we want to know."

"Casey we don't know how this works, what triggers the memories; he'll crack wide open."

"Not my job; I brake things, I don't fix 'em."

"What about his job, his friends? And what do we do about his sister?" she asks.

"What about my sister?" Chuck asks as he reaches them.

"Nothing, we were just discussing-"

"No no no no hold on a sec; you have to leave my family and my friends out of this," Chuck says.

"We'll see."

"Look Bryce sent that email to me. I'm the one remembering his secrets," Chuck says. "Which means you have to listen to me; both of you. And right now I'm gonna go home."

"No you're not," says Casey, grabbing his arm which causes Sarah to glare at him. Chuck pulls him arm back out of his grip.

"You," he says, pointing at Casey then Sarah. "You need me."

He walks away, leaving them to stare after him.

* * *

"How long have you been here?" Chuck asks as Sarah walks up behind him seated on the sand.

"All night," she says and sits next to him.

"There's no where I can run, is there?" he asks.

"Not from us," she says, watching his face. "Talk to me Chuck."

"Yesterday I was making eleven bucks an hour fixing computers, now I have one in my brain and I can't figure out why Bryce did this, why he chose me," he says. "What are you gonna do with me? What happens now?"

"For now you go back to your own life," Sarah says. "We'll protect you and you'll work with us."

"And my sister and my friends, are they in danger?" he asks.

"Tell them nothing to keep them safe," she says. "I need you to do one more thing for me."

"Yeah," Chuck mumbles.

"Trust me Chuck," she says.

* * *

"Chuck!" calls Bela, running up to him. Sarah had just dropped him off outside his and Ellie's apartment.

"Hey, how'd it go?" she smiles before he pulls her into a crushing hug. "Okay, you're kind of choking me."

He lets her go, resting a hand on her shoulder. "Sorry, I just missed you Bells."

"O-kay," she says shaking her head. "You haven't called me Bells in years, not since Morgan spiked my drink. What's going on?"

He shakes his head as they make their way towards the house.

"Like I said, I missed you," he says, smiling. "Oh hey, Morgan said you went out last night?"

"I had a date," she laughs, running her hand through the water in the fountain.

"A real date?" he asks, looking down at her.

"What are you talking about, they're always real dates," she grins.

"Yeah, real drunken dates," he smirks, opening the door.

"All night!" Ellie yells as soon as he closes the door. "Do you know how worried I was, I even called Morgan, you could have let me know that you were okay."

Bela stares at her ranting before being pulled into another Chuck-hug, between Ellie and Morgan.

"I've got an early morning procedure so... group hug huh?" Devon asks walking in. He wraps his arms around them before sighing. "Awesome."

"I'm gonna go shower," Chuck says as he leaves, but Ellie grabs his arm.

"You're not going to tell us where you've been; how your date was?" she asks. He groans, turning back around.

"I have to be at work soon..." he says. "Later?"

"Fine," she agrees, walking into the kitchen.

"Fifteen minutes, I'll give you a lift," Chuck says to Bela as she heads to the door.

"Chuck," she sighs. "I do have my own car."

"Fifteen minutes," he says again, before adding, "Please."

"Fine," she says and he runs up the hall. She turns, almost running into Morgan. 'Bells' suddenly pops into her head and she glares at him.

"What did you do?" she asks, folding her arms in front of her.

* * *

"Well, wish me luck," Chuck says, finishing filling in the application for Assistant Store Manager of the Buy More.

He walks down the aisle, Harry Tang heading his way and doing the 'I'm watching you' gesture before shoving past him. Chuck pauses, looking at Morgan standing next to a TV; dramatic music coming from the speakers.

"Sorry man," Morgan says, turning it down. "Go get 'em."

He walks into Big Mike's office, who makes a motion for him to put his application in the in going box.

"Didn't think you'd apply," he says.

"Well, uh, I think I'm ready for this, Big Mike," Chuck says. "And what it means; responsibility, decisive leadership."

"Save it for the interview; now go train the new guy."

"Okie dokie," Chuck says, leaving. He grins as he rounds the corner, before seeing, 'the new guy'. It was Casey, decked out in the Buy More uniform. He stares at him, before being distracted by Sarah, walking down the aisle past him with a shopping basket. She smiles at him, but he looks down, staring at the blue ring on her finger.

Flashes of Sarah run through his mind; she shoots two men, before turning, and firing at the camera recording her.

"Don't freak out," Chuck says, taking a deep breath.

* * *

A/N: Alright. That's the first chapter. Next, we'll see how long Chuck can protect Bela for, or will Sarah and Casey find out what she knows? And obviously episodes will be going in order, so next we have Chuck vs. The Helicopter. Please review guys!


	2. Chuck vs The Helicopter

A/N: Alright, next chapter. Just a note for future reference, not all of the scenes from the episodes will be in here. Especially when they're so damn hard to transcribe and don't seem all that necessary at the time. So before you comment saying "OMG, you left this out", remember that okay? And if I missed something out of the dialogue that was in the show, it's usually because I couldn't understand what they actually said.

And there are no back doors on the Nerd Herd cars, but because I want (and need) them to, they now have them. Oh the power!

I think that's it, so... on with the next chapter.

* * *

"Sorry, new guy!" Bela gasps, crashing into Casey as she runs through the Buy More.

"It's fine," he says, running his eyes over her. She had a large white shirt on which appeared to be a men's size and a pair of black shorts just visible underneath.

"The clothes?" she asks, noticing his staring. "I haven't been home since yesterday, had to make do with this but of course I'm over sharing again and you don't need to know any of this."

"It's fine," he repeats, almost smirking.

"Crap! Tang!" she hisses looking over his shoulder before quickly hiding behind him. "Look if you could do me a huge favor and either escort me to the break room or distract Tang that would be aces."

"Looks like those idiots are doing that," he nods.

"Oh brilliant," she grins as she sees Jeff and Lester watching Morgan try and perform magic in front of Harry. "Thanks new guy!"

"Bela?" Chuck snorts as she runs into the break room.

"Morning," she says, throwing her bag into her locker before pulling out her spare work clothes.

"Big night-woah!" Chuck yells, quickly turning and blocking the door as she pulls off the too-large shirt.

"Hey, who's the new guy?" she asks, buttoning up her work shirt.

"You mean Casey-John Casey?" he asks, turning around once he's sure she's decent. "Why do you care?"

"Uh, 'cause he's the new guy," she smirks.

"Yeah, well don't even think about it he's NSA."

"NSA?"

"You know how I told you about the agent that tried to kill Sarah and me?" he asks and she nods. "He's the agent, but now he's protecting me-well, us but I guess he doesn't know he's protecting you yet."

"Well he's already started," she says.

"What do you mean?"

"This morning he helped me escape Tang, sort of," she shrugs as they walk down the hallway.

"That's strange, he already hates everyone working here."

"Don't worry Chuck, once he gets to know me I'm sure he'll hate me too," she laughs, waving at him over her shoulder as she makes her way to the Nerd Herd desk.

* * *

"Hey," Casey says, nodding at Bela as he enters the break room. She nods back, ignoring him for the most part as she unwraps her lunch.

"Bela, there you are!" Lester says relieved as she bites into her sub.

Casey watches the two as he pours himself some coffee.

"Now have I got a deal for you!" he continues, sitting himself down opposite her.

"I'm eating," she says, staring at him annoyed.

"Eat and listen, eat and listen," he says as he slides a couple of photographs towards her.

"What is it this time?" she asks, nearly choking on her lunch as she stares at them.

"Nude photography."

"Is that you?" she snorts, holding one up.

"Impressed?" he grins.

"Get out," she smirks, chuckling as he leaves without saying another word.

"Sorry you had to listen to that," she says, glancing up at Casey.

He nods, taking Lester's vacated seat.

"He does that a lot, comes to me with offers of photography, paintings, sketches-not always nude," she says, smirking. "I should be flattered, but with Lester it's just creepy."

"Aren't most of the guys working here like that-creepy?" he chuckles.

"You work here," she teases.

"You work here, too," he says, watching her carefully.

"Now this is true," she sighs, looking up as Chuck walks in.

"Hey, Chuckles," she smiles nodding down at the wrapper on the table. "Lunch."

"Half a meatball sub?" he asks hopefully, and she peels back the wrapper.

"Of course," she nods, standing up. He takes her seat as she cleans up, Casey glancing between the two curiously.

"Do you need a lift later, or is your date swinging by to pick you up after work?" Chuck asks around a mouthful of his lunch.

"I need to go home, shower and change," she shrugs, drying her hands. "So a lift would be great!"

"You got it," he nods, Casey clearing his throat as she leaves. "What?"

"You share lunch with her?" he snorts. "You do realize that Walker is meant to be your cover girlfriend."

"She's one of my best friends, I'm not gonna start ignoring her," he says. "Sarah understands."

"Does she now?" Casey asks skeptically.

"She will when I tell her," Chuck says, quickly eating the rest of his lunch before rushing out of the room.

* * *

"Bela, wait for a minute," Chuck says as they get out of the Herder. She grabs her clothes from last night, tucking them under her arm.

"Sure," she smiles, leaning against the car. Chuck looks around before leaning next to her.

"Are you still flashing on things?" he asks. She laughs, shaking her head.

"I can't watch TV any more Chuck. I'm flashing on shows and the news and it's just insane! I don't even like the news!"

"But back to the point," Chuck interrupts, grinning. "I may have found a way to stop these flashes we've been having."

"Are you kidding me?" she asks. "Because if you're joking I'll kick your ass, and you know I can and will."

He laughs, punching her lightly on the shoulder. "I'll know more tonight," he says.

"Don't let me down, Chuck," she smiles, walking back down the footpath. "I'm counting on you."

"Ciao Bela," he jokes, waving her off.

"Yo, Chuck!" yells Morgan, peddling down the sidewalk towards them. Chuck turns to Bela, giving her a 'please stay' look. She laughs, clearly mouthing a 'no' before jogging the rest of the way to her apartment.

* * *

"Hey sis, what do you think of this shirt?" Chuck asks, holding up a blue shirt with white stripes.

"Another date with Sarah, this is very exciting," Ellie grins, holding up two more shirts.

"Oh see, it's not that big of deal," he says.

"Yes it is, she is hot," Morgan says, sitting up from Chuck's bed, playing a video game. "Jeepers. I'd go with the first shirt too, goes better with your skin tone."

"Oh yeah?" Chuck asks.

"Wait a minute, Morgan has met her and I haven't?" asks Ellie, frowning.

"Well... Bela has too..."

"She has?" she asks.

"But only at the Buy More," Chuck says.

"Bela is fine, Bela can know, but... _Morgan_?"

"He confides in me, Ellie. You know, he tells me his deepest, darkest secrets... which you could too by the way," Morgan says.

"Here's one, I loathe you," she growls.

"That's not a secret," Chuck says.

"I need to meet this girl. Tomorrow night; dinner, here," she grins but Morgan disagrees, mumbling something about mood killers, causing Ellie to glare at him.

"Dinner, perfect," he says.

"I'll call Bela and let her know," she smiles, walking out. Chuck stares after her, before looking down at the shirt he was holding.

* * *

Chuck stood on the side walk, fiddling with his shirt as Sarah pulls up, the tires screeching.

"Get in," she says as Chuck bends down, looking at her through the pricey car's window.

"Wow, Wienerlicious really pays well huh?" he laughs, opening the car door. "What are we, uh what are we doing? We're going to a, uh like a movie or some dinner?"

"Not exactly," she says.

"W-what does not exactly mean, exactly?" Chuck asks nervously as she smiles, pulling out onto the road.

* * *

"So, here we are on our date at the Buy More," Chuck says. "Is this all part of the plan or a chance for me to clock in some overtime?"

"There's a doctor coming to see you Chuck, he worked on the encoding process for the intersect; the computer that Bryce destroyed, the one that's in your head," Sarah explains as they walk through the store. "He's coming to examine you."

"Uh huh and uh does this examination involve say I don't know, needles or perhaps probing of some kind?"

"The doctor is our best shot at helping you," she says. "It's what you want right; to get the secrets out of your head?"

"Yeah, yeah of course," he says and she walks off toward the counter.

"But you-you're still being very vague about the probing and I'd like to know the answer to that."

* * *

Chuck once again adjusts his shirt as he sits on the couch in the home theatre room, wearing a headset device.

"We've re-wired the home theatre room for this test," Sarah explains, closing the curtains. "When the images start, just say what they are."

"That's it?" Chuck asks.

"I'm sure you'll find a way to screw it up," Casey says from the doorway. "The doctor's here."

"When do I get to meet him?" Chuck asks.

"You don't. It's important that he doesn't see you, you're too valuable'" Sarah says, walking out.

"Thanks. I'm flattered and totally freaked out," Chuck says as the rest of the curtains close.

"Dr. Zarnow," greets Casey as they walk up to him.

"Agent Casey, Agent Walker," he smiles.

"Thank you for meeting us at a neutral site," Sarah says, shaking his hand. "Let's begin."

"I don't understand why I can't see my patient," Zarnow says.

"For your safety we're keeping patient X's identity a secret," says Sarah.

"And does patient X work here?" he asks.

"Patient X," Casey says, glancing at Sarah. "Who knows all the intersect secrets works at a Buy More."

"Ridiculous, of course," Zarnow says.

"At the tone, the test will begin," he says, getting Chuck's attention.

"Uhh dog," Chuck says, staring at the screen. "Uh, hippopotamus… fat guy, ugly building, really beautiful woman at the beach."

A yellow flower comes on the screen, making Chuck pause.

"Cardinal One is the top Moscow spy in the White House office of… the plot to assassinate President Carter was orchestrated by…"

He continues on as different images flash onto the screen until they stop, leaving one picture.

"Okay well that's just a picture of a turtle," Chuck says.

"Your patient is … phenomenal. We never imagined this," Zarnow says to Casey and Sarah.

"What didn't you imagine?" she asks.

"One person seeing all the intersect images; all our secrets in one mind."

"Can you remove the secrets doctor?" Casey asks.

"Yes, I think I can."

* * *

"So, did I pass the test?" Chuck asks as Sarah pulls up to the curb.

"You did great Chuck," she smiles.

"And this doctor guy, he can fix me or…"

"Uh he's hopeful, yeah," she nods.

"Okay," Chuck says, undoing his seatbelt and opening the door before pausing. "Oh! Oh, I almost forgot uh dinner tomorrow night with my sister and Captain Awesome she really wanted to meet you so…"

"Oh, okay well that's a good idea," Sarah smiles.

"Meeting the family's kind of a big step if our relationship was remotely real," Chuck says, laughing slightly.

"So uh if this whole examination thing, if it works out then I guess we're through huh?" he asks.

"Uh yeah, mhmm," Sarah nods.

"Okay, well goodnight," he says, climbing out of the car.

"Goodnight," she says, smiling.

"Oh, and uh just so you know um tonight was probably the best only second date I've been on in years," he grins, leaning in the passenger window. "Drive safe."

Sarah watches him, smiling to herself as he walks away. Her smile grows as he turns and waves at her, and she returns the gesture.

"You rang," Bela says from Chuck's bed, putting on her best 'Lurch' impression as he flicks on the light.

"Jesus, Bela!" Chuck yells in surprise.

"Nope, just me," she grins as he flops down on the bed next to her. He pulls his shoes off, before leaning back on his elbows.

He glances across at her before quickly sitting up.

"Hey, what's wrong?" he asks, noticing the tear stains on her cheeks under her puffy eyes.

"I, uh, I got a couple of phone calls and emails tonight," she says, sniffling slightly. "Bryce Larkin is dead."

He pulls her to him, cursing himself for not being the one to tell her.

"I'm sorry," he whispers.

"Did you know?" she asks.

"Yeah," he sighs. "He died sending the Intersect to me."

"Huh..." she says slowly. "Were you gonna tell me this at some point?"

"Yes, of course!" he says before frowning. "But I know how much you loved the guy Bela, and I didn't know how to tell you."

She nods, wiping her face again.

"Damn it."

"Don't see you cry often," he says, bumping his shoulder against hers.

"Yeah, I know," she smiles. "'Cause crying is stupid."

He chuckles, shaking his head.

"So...?" she asks after a moment.

"So…" he says.

"Come on Chuck. You didn't call me from your 'date' at the Buy More for nothing. What happened; can they fix us?" she asks.

"You do realize I'm gonna have to tell them about you," he says, turning to face her.

"I thought that might be the case," she says.

"They're... not gonna be happy," he sighs.

"Oh I don't know, Sarah seems okay. And Casey, well, he never looks happy," she says, making Chuck laugh.

"Oh geez," he smiles as she stands up

"I'm heading home," she says. "Have to prepare for whatever's happening to me tomorrow. You don't think they'll shoot me, do you?"

"Of course n..." Chuck starts, before thinking. Fact is he didn't know either of the agents that well. He doubted Sarah would shoot her… but Casey…?

"Brilliant, Chuck. And on that note I am gone," she says before he calls out to her.

"You're coming tomorrow, to dinner right?" he asks.

"If I'm still alive and kicking," she jokes, but Chuck frowns, watching her leave.

* * *

"The strum bars getting a little sticky like on the one. On the other one it's fine but on the second one-" Chuck says to Morgan as they walk around the Buy More aisles. He's interrupted as Casey bumps into him.

"You can't trust Sarah," he growls.

"Chuck, John," Big Mike calls, causing the two to turn and look at him.

"Big Mike," they say in unison.

"How's customer service training?" he asks.

"Super," Chuck says the same time Casey says "Fine".

"Glad to hear it. The better my employees the less I have to work."

"Very inspiring words, sir," Chuck says.

"Regular call to arms," Casey adds.

"Well go make him better. Show me you're Assistant Manager material," Big Mike says, before getting impatient and adding, "Chop chop! I got a nap in an hour."

Chuck leads Casey away as Big Mike directs his attention to Morgan.

"Good bye," he says, Morgan turning and quickly leaving.

"So, uh this is the hand held scanner," Chuck says, showing it to Casey. "Very expensive piece of equipment."

"So's a stealth fighter but somehow I managed to fly that."

Chuck pauses, staring blankly at him for a moment.

"R-ight, uh and the gun you know kind of works like a…"

"Gun?" Casey finishes.

"Uh huh," Chuck replies as Big Mike watches the two of them. "And it beeps when you scan the barcodes."

"Well if it screamed out loud I'd be right at home," Casey says, making sure Big Mike had left before pressing the scanner to Chuck's throat.

"Listen I don't want you to have anymore private meetings with Sarah," he says.

"Uhm, is there-is there a problem?" Chuck asks, glancing at Bela who was watching them intently from the Nerd Herd counter.

"No problems, only solutions," Casey says, the scanner beeping as he pulls it away from Chuck's neck.

"Well that sounds very much like the Buy More customer policy… that I've noticed you have some issue with," he says. An instant message from Sarah comes up on the laptop, Chuck glancing at it before turning to Casey.

"You know, uh you know what I think we're gonna do about that? We're gonna do some role-playing and work on that attitude of yours, how 'bout that!" Chuck says as Bela joins them.

"If it's with her," Casey smirks, Chuck bumping into Bela as he turns around. "Then I will."

"Chuck," smiles Bela, ignoring Casey's comment. "Everything okay?"

"Fine, everything's fine-hey Morgan!" Chuck calls, pulling Bela away from Casey's staring.

"Hi ho," Morgan says, walking over to them.

"Hey there he is, there's my Johnny on the spot, uh Morgan and Casey, you guys are gonna do some stuff."

"You're gonna be a shopper," he says to Morgan, before turning back to Casey, "and you're gonna be the sales rep, like y'are. And uh, Bela and me are gonna go talk about some stuff, because she needed my help with something."

Chuck pulls Bela along with him, leaving Morgan with Casey.

"Got it from here," Morgan says awkwardly, Casey turning to face him.

"C'mon," whispers Chuck, pushing Bela towards the entrance, quickly checking that Casey wasn't watching before following.

"We're telling Sarah, and we're telling her _now_," he says, walking into Wienerlicious.

"What?" she asks, pushing past all the teenage boys who were hurrying out the exit.

"Bela," Sarah smiles as she walks in with Chuck.

"Hey, Sarah," she says, smiling stiffly back.

"Chuck, I, uh, wanted to talk to you _privately_," Sarah whispers.

"Wait, wait, before you say _anything, _I need to tell you something. _We_ need to tell you something," he says, pulling Bela next to him.

Sarah watches them both with curiosity. "What is it?"

"I know! I know everything!" Bela blurts out, Chuck grabbing her arm before she can run to the door.

"Nice," Chuck says, watching Sarah's eyes widen.

"What?" she yells.

"See, the night Bryce sent that email to me... Bela was there, and we both... saw it. Bela knows everything because... everything is in her head, too," Chuck says as Sarah stares at Bela.

"You have got to be kidding me!" she yells.

"Sorry?" Bela smiles before struggling to run to the door again. Chuck holds her back; again.

"But hey, it's fine right? The doctor, he can help Bela too, and nothing has to happen to her right?"

"No, Chuck, not right. The doctor from last night, he was killed in an explosion soon after he left us."

"Wait, what? The doctor who was supposed to fix me-us?"

"Oh… then… we were joking?" Bela says laughing nervously as Sarah reaches under the counter.

"Chuck, turn away," she says.

"Wait, why? Don't shoot her!" he says.

"What? Chuck I'm not going to shoot her, just _turn around_," she says again. He glances at Bela before slowly turning and facing the wall. Sarah places the phone from the crime scene on the counter.

"Tell me what this is," she says and Bela carefully picks up the plastic bag.

"It's a broken…" she begins, before she flashes on it. "NSA incinerator, special issue designed to eliminate all biological traces."

Chuck turns around as she drops the phone to the counter.

"That's what killed the doctor," she says as Chuck picks it back up, receiving the same flashes.

"She's right," he nods.

"And guess who works for the NSA?" Sarah says, glancing at Chuck.

"Look, I don't know what to do about you right now," she says to Bela, "But neither of you are to tell Casey what Bela knows okay? If he'll do that to the doctor, well…"

"W-why would Casey do that?" he asks.

"He's a killer Chuck; it's what he does for a living. He tried to kill us and he'll probably try to do it again. If he finds out about Bela, he'll try to kill her too. Maybe it was orders; maybe he didn't like the way Zarnow looked at him."

"Oh that's nice, I feel much better now Sarah, what am I supposed to do?"

"You go back in there and you pretend that you know _nothing_. The same goes for you Bela, don't let him get suspicious. Go, you can do that guys."

"I know nothing. I know nothing, got it," Chuck says, turning and heading to the door as Bela silently follows.

"Bela, hang back for a minute," Sarah says.

"Oh… uh sure," she says, Chuck smiling at her before leaving. She walks back over to the counter, cautiously looking up at Sarah.

"I'm going to tell you the same thing I told Chuck, alright? You need to trust me, Bela. You can't tell anyone about this, not friends or family. You live your life normally, but you'll work for us, and we'll protect you okay?"

Bela nods slowly, wringing her hands together.

"_Trust me_," Sarah smiles.

* * *

"Alright so I'm gonna try that again, ready?" asks Morgan. "Do you have any Ramones?"

Casey just stares at him as Chuck walks up to them.

"No don't say no, it's not gonna-listen okay. Uh, excuse me John, how you doing, you have any Ramones here dude? But don't tell me you don't have any."

"Casey," says Chuck, butting in. "The correct response is 'Can we order you the Ramones'."

"The Ramones man, Ramones okay. Just looking for the Ramones man. Do you have Ramones 'cause I love the Ramones and I wanted-" Morgan says before Casey pushes him over.

"Ow. That's a no on the Ramones I guess," he says from the floor.

"Okay I don't think that's in the Buy More manual," Chuck says as Casey grabs him by the tie.

"What did Sarah tell you, hmm? I know you talked to her it's what I do for a living," he says, releasing Chuck as Bela jogs up to them.

"Hey Chuck, I just need to double check on the order out the back?" Bela smiles, Casey glaring at Chuck before walking away.

"Thank you," Chuck says, patting her on the shoulder.

"Oh no here it is, bottom shelf The Ramones," Morgan says, still on the floor.

"I'm freaking out," Bela whispers as they walk over to the Nerd Herd counter. "Really freaking out, Chuck."

"What did Sarah say to you?" he asks.

"What she told you apparently. To trust her, that they'll protect me. But what's going on? With Casey?"

"I don't know," he says, looking up as Lester clears his throat next to them.

"Mr Bartowski."

"Hi, Lester," he says, Bela smirking at the two of them.

"Uh Code Zebra; LUnix installer factory off Ventura, 142 Euclyp. Take Bela with you," he says, before pausing. "Unless the lovely lady would like to help me with some _stock_?"

"Let's go Chuck," Bela says, shaking her head at Lester as they leave.

* * *

"This is how I should always ride," Bela yawns from the backseat. She had her knees up slightly as she lay down, head against the door.

"If I get arrested because of you, I'm telling them you're drunk," Chuck says, looking at the map in his hands.

"Well the police can't see me Chuck, because I'm lying down!" she teases, before mumbling something about her knees possibly being seen from their position.

Chuck shakes his head, focusing on the map again as the car lurches forward. Chuck looks into the rear-view mirror as his phone rings.

"What the hell was that?" asks Bela.

"Hello?" Chuck answers.

"Pull over," Casey says on the other end, sitting in the car behind them.

"Well I can't pull over I have a home install at uh…"

"142 Euclyp? Guess who called that in," he says.

"Oh my God," Chuck says. "It was you! You killed the doctor now you're here to kill me!"

"What, Chuck?" Bela yells as he takes off, Casey right behind them.

"Stay down!" Chuck yells, swerving across the road.

"Who the hell's chasing us?" she asks, wincing as her head keeps hitting the door.

"Casey."

"Casey?"

"He's trying to kill me er well us now," he says, swerving once again.

Casey rams into them, causing Chuck's car to spin before coming to a halt.

"_Stay in the car!_" Chuck orders before climbing out.

"Are you out of your mind?" Chuck yells. Casey gets out of his car, slamming the door as he stalks towards Chuck.

"What-what happened to you?" he asks, noticing Casey's black eye and bandaged hand.

"Your girlfriend happened to me," he says.

"What, Sarah?"

"She's rogue, Chuck," Casey says. "She killed the doctor then she tried to kill me."

"Is she okay?" Chuck asks.

"Yeah I'm golden thanks for asking," Casey says.

"No no no why should I believe you? She showed me the bomb, she said you did it!"

"NSA incinerator right? It's a nice explosive, easily purchased on the black market. What do you really know about Sarah, Chuck? Huh?" he asks. "Think, she's CIA, she worked with Bryce, he was rogue maybe she is too."

"She found you in LA, but she couldn't grab you 'cause I was around so she had to wait her chance. Dr Zarnow screwed that up. He could pull those secrets out of your head, then she'd lose the intersect so she had to act fast."

Chuck's phone begins to ring and he pulls it out. Casey snatches it from him, reading the screen before turning it off. He hands the phone back as the door of the Nerd Herd car opens, Bela crawling out.

"I think I'm gonna be sick," Bela groans, sliding down onto the road.

"Bela?" yells Casey as Chuck kneels next to her, helping her up. "What did you hear?"

"Ugh everything," she says, Chuck grabbing her around the waist to steady her.

"Great," Casey growls.

"We should tell him," Chuck says, looking at Bela. "Sarah knows, and if Casey does then he can help."

"Tell me what?" Casey asks.

"I know _everything_," Bela says sickly, Casey's jaw twitching.

"What-"

"She saw the email from Bryce when I did, and she has the intersect in her head as well. I didn't tell you guys earlier because you tried to shoot _me_ when we first met!" Chuck says.

"This true?" he asks Bela, lifting her chin up. She stares at him wide eyed before nodding.

"Why would we say that if it wasn't?" she says.

"Alright, let's go," Casey says, resting a hand on her back. "C'mon."

They climb into Casey's car as a phone starts to ring.

"I thought I turned that off," Casey says, glancing at Chuck.

"Well it's not me, is it yours?" he asks.

"No," Casey says, checking his phone. "Bela?"

"Not me," she says before looking at the phone next to her on the seat. "Oh…"

"NSA incinerator, run!" Chuck yells as they scramble out of the car before running. They stop a distance away, turning back to look at the still intact car.

Chuck sighs as Casey and Bela stare at him, before they're all thrown to the ground from the car exploding.

"Oh _God_," Bela groans before once again pulling herself up off of the road.

"Still think it was me?" Casey asks.

"Why would Sarah do this?" Chuck asks.

"She's cleaning the operation," he says, taking his phone out.

"Cleaning?" Bela asks.

"Eliminating everyone she's come in contact with," Casey says. "You know where she is?"

"Oh Chuck," Bela says, shaking her head.

"We have to get back to my house she's having dinner with us tonight!"

"I think not, you two are on the next plane to Washington," Casey says.

"But my sister!"

"Doesn't have a super computer in her noggin, and you two are the priority," he says, holding his phone up to his ear and talking to someone on the other end. Chuck nudges Bela slightly, nodding towards the Herder. She sighs as he runs toward it, and quickly follows.

"Hey!" Casey yells as they jump in the car, speeding off before he reaches them.

"This is insane," Bela growls while unbuttoning her shirt.

"Welcome to my world-hey! What are you doing?" he asks, noticing her actions.

"Relax, you know I almost always wear something under these," she says, pulling her work shirt off to reveal a grey tank top. "You think this is okay for dinner?"

"Bells, we nearly _died_ and you're worried about how you look?" Chuck asks as she stares at him with an eyebrow raised. "You look great."

"Thank you," she smiles, before adding under her breath. "And don't call me Bells."

They pull up soon after, Chuck rushing out of the car.

"Chuck, Chuck, just be… normal," Bela whispers before they go inside.

"Well, about time," Morgan says as Bela closes the door.

"Chuck, where have you been?" Sarah asks, standing up.

"Why uh, you surprised to see me?" he asks slowly.

"What?" she asks, but he just makes a face at her. "Where's Casey?"

"I don't know, maybe he's having some car trouble," he says before walking past her. "Everyone okay?"

"Yeah just a little hungry dude, you're… late," says Morgan.

"And a little dirty for my taste," Devon says before looking over at Bela. "Bela, want something to drink?"

"God yes," she says, walking quickly past Sarah to avoid her questioning gaze.

"And your girlfriend has been nothing but mean to me," Ellie jokes.

"Huh? Oh, huh look out for her," he says, smiling awkwardly at Sarah. "So I'm glad everyone's getting along so well."

"Yeah, your sister is awesome," Sarah says.

"Indeed," Devon says.

"Hey, I've got an idea! Why don't we actually go out, huh? For pizza or something, some place… public with lots and lots of people around?"

"Great idea!" Bela agrees.

"Uh guys, I've been cooking all day," Ellie says.

"Yeah cooking pot roast dude, which is my favourite," Morgan says.

"Let's eat!" says Devon, everyone sitting down at the table as Chuck cautiously moves around Sarah, avoiding touching her at all.

"This looks delicious, Ellie," Sarah smiles as everyone's seated.

"Oh it was nothing."

"So Sarah, let's turn this up a notch personal style. Tell us something about yourself," Devon says. Chuck just stares at Bela sitting at the opposite end of the table, sending nervous glances Sarah's way.

"Well I'm originally from D.C, I just moved here," she says.

"Oh, Chuck and Bela had a friend who lived in D.C," Ellie says.

"A former friend," Morgan adds. "Former because a, he was a jerk and b, well-well he's dead."

Chuck scratches his neck nervously at the mention of Bryce, while Bela just downs the rest of her wine.

"The girl Chuck was dating before you," Morgan continues, "he stole her."

"Ugh, I just don't know how anyone can choose Bryce over Chuck," Ellie says as the doorbell rings. "No offence, Bela."

"None taken," she nods, staring at her empty glass sadly.

Sarah glances at Bela as Ellie goes to answer the door.

"Hi, I'm John Casey I just moved in upstairs, I thought I might bring something over," Casey says, Chuck standing up at the sound of his voice.

"Oh, come in," Ellie smiles, taking the plate of mini quiches from him. "Chuck you didn't tell me you were bringing another friend."

"Hey, hi yeah it totally slipped my mind that my _friend_ John Casey was coming over, and we work at Buy More together; Morgan and Bela you know John from the Buy More, I was telling him we were gonna have a get together, and that you know the more the merrier," Chuck says nervously.

"Pull a stunt like that again and I'll kill you before she can," Casey whispers in his ear. Both of them laugh, Bela standing up.

"Bathroom," she says to Ellie, before walking down the hall.

"Chuck, we're gonna need another chair," Ellie says while setting the quiches down on the table.

"Okie dokie," he says.

"You know what I'm crashing the party maybe I should-I'll get it," Casey says, following him.

"Strange," Morgan says.

"Bela!" yells Chuck, jumping as he sees her in his room.

"Just so you know, I plan on getting _really_ drunk tonight Chuck," she says as he picks up a chair. "Maybe then I'll forget all of this… _insane_ secret agent stuff. A-and Bryce."

"Well can you do it out there with all the people and ahh," he says as Casey walks in, closing the door.

"NSA ran a check on Sarah Walker to see what we had; two years ago she posed as a French diplomat, infiltrated the inner circle of an arms deal. Killed the entire circle," Casey says to the both of them.

"With a bomb?" Chuck asks.

"We don't know. Her alias was Elana Truffaut," he says, watching as they both pause, eyes going wide.

"They were poisoned," Bela says and Chuck nods, "At dinner."

"Wonderful," he says before grabbing the chair from Chuck as Ellie knocks on the door, walking in.

"Hey sis, chair. Ta-da!" Chuck says as Casey walks out with the chair.

"Thank you," she smiles.

"Wine," Bela nods and smiles at Ellie quickly before following Casey.

"Wow Chuck wow," she says. "I mean I knew that you had it in you but she is wow she is really great."

"Yeah, she's unpredictable," he agrees.

"Hey, listen to me. You have no reason to be nervous okay?" Ellie says, "Now you have a great girl out there, I mean she even made dessert!"

"Dessert?" Chuck asks.

"Yeah!" Ellie grins, walking into the hallway.

"Dessert, great!" Chuck says, following. "Dessert, poisoned. Don't freak out."

"Stop!" he yells, running down the hall. Everyone freezes at the table, staring up at him.

"We, uh we didn't do a toast yet," he puffs, "Which I'll do, right now."

Morgan grabs the plate of mini quiches off of Sarah before taking one.

"So I'd like to propose a toast," he says, taking his glass of wine from the table. "To my sister, and to uh a meal that looks so great, and Devon you're great, yeah and to Bela, who even half drunk it great, and Sarah for a great _dessert_," he says, causing Bela to choke on her wine, "And to John Casey and his mini quiches which are equally as great."

"What about me Chuck?" Morgan asks.

"For what?" Ellie asks.

"And to Morgan, for his great comic timing!" Chuck adds.

"Thank you sir."

"Cheers," everyone says.

"Well you know, that soufflé does look amazing," Ellie says.

"Yeah you're right honey I can't even resist," Devon says, reaching his fork down to get a piece.

"Wait! Wait wait wait _wait!_" Chuck yells, everyone once again pausing and staring up at him. "Who likes magic?"

"I do!" says Morgan.

"I know a trick," Chuck says, clapping his hands together.

"Chuck," Sarah says slowly, smiling up at him.

"Chuck what are you doing?" Ellie yells as he grabs the end of the table cloth, everyone scooting back in their chairs.

"Voi la!" Chuck yells, pulling away the table cloth… and leaving everything perfectly fine on the table.

"How the…?" Chuck whispers to himself.

"Whoa, Chuck that was-" Devon starts.

"I _knew_ you could do it man," Morgan says. Casey brings his leg up into the table, causing the rocking candle to fall onto Sarah's soufflé, lighting it up.

"Flambé," he says, Chuck picking the burning soufflé and carefully carrying it into the bathroom, everyone following. Sarah grabs Bela's arm on the way, pulling her back.

"What's going on?" she growls, Bela just shaking her head before Casey pulls the two apart.

"I need air," Bela whispers to herself, making her way out the front.

"Chuck, Chuck!" yells Ellie, watching as he stomps on the soufflé in the bath after turning the tap off. "Look no matter how stressed out you are it is never okay to murder a woman's soufflé."

"Uhm, you know what, let me talk to him," Sarah smiles, Chuck glancing at Casey as everyone leaves the two alone.

"Casey, hey maybe uh-" Chuck starts to say before the door closes and Sarah grabs him, throwing him against the door.

"Tell me exactly what Casey said," she growls.

"Nothing, everything is okay," Chuck lies and she pushes him into the door again.

"I can go ask Bela, if that's what you want. I presume Casey now knows about her?" she asks, bending his wrist back. "Now what did he say?"

"That you killed Dr Zarnow and killed a bunch of French diplomats," he says and she spins him around, twisting his arm up behind his back.

"They're blaming me for Zarnow?" she asks.

"If you're planning on hurting me, even to prove a point I think you should know I have a very low threshold for pain," he says, making her twist his arm more.

"And you believe Casey?" she asks.

"Tell me… about… the French diplomats," he says while he slowly bends down, trying to relieve the pain in his arm.

"They were French assassins and they were after me but I got to them first, and you know what I'm kind of glad that I did. Chuck, do you really think that my name is Sarah? I never asked you to believe me, I asked you to trust me," she says. "This doesn't make sense, if Casey didn't kill Zarnow then-"

She releases Chuck, but he keeps his arm behind his back while kneeling on the floor.

"What are you doing?" he asks.

"I have to go, right now," Sarah says, running out of the bathroom.

"Uh I'm sorry I have to go, but dinner was wonderful," she says to the group, walking quickly out the front door.

"Gotta go, be back, yeah" says Chuck, following.

"Yeah well uh, I'd better be going too, this has been great, thanks," Casey says, closing the door as he leaves.

"Uh you're welcome," Ellie calls after them.

"I think that went well, you know not great but I think it went well," says Morgan, standing up. "So uh, I'm gonna make a little doggy bag and uh head out my Morgan door."

"How 'bout that? Sounds good, yes," he says, walking past Ellie into the kitchen.

* * *

"Sarah wait!" yells Chuck.

"You stay inside, do what I say," she says, pulling her jacket on before leaving. Chuck watches her go before Casey joins him.

"You think we were wrong?" Chuck asks him.

Sarah runs out onto the footpath, crashing into Bela.

"Bela?" she asks, grabbing her arm so she doesn't fall.

"Uh, air, I needed air-" Bela starts before a car screeches around the corner.

"Casey!" Sarah yells before the two of them are shot with tranquiliser darts and thrown into the boot of the car.

"Bela?" asks Chuck before the boot closes.

"Hey, don't move," says Casey, pulling his gun on the man. "Zarnow?"

The doctor pulls the tranq gun out, shooting Casey in the arm with another dart.

"Good to see you again, Agent Casey," he smiles, getting into the car and speeding off.

"Oh my God," Chuck mumbles, staring at the dart.

"Yep, we were wrong," he says swaying into Chuck who struggles to hold him up.

"Casey he's got Bela and Sarah, we've gotta save them," Chuck says as Casey leans up against the wall.

"Brilliant deduction Nancy Drew, now pull out the tranq dart!"

"Oh, I have a very strong aversion to needles," Chuck says.

"Do it!"

"Okay, oh," Chuck says, pulling it out and gagging slightly before throwing it into the gutter. "That was the doctor right, he's probably not dead?"

"And the sun sets in the West, nothing gets by you."

"One, two, three," Chuck says, helping Casey to stand.

"What's he gonna do with them?"

"He's gonna torture them, until they tell him about Bela _or_ you," he says. "C'mon, we hurry we can catch them."

"Alright, where are we going?" Chuck asks as they climb into the Nerd Herd car.

"I laced my quiches with micro bots," he says.

"You're not kidding, are you?" Chuck asks, staring at him.

"I don't kid about quiche," he says, pressing some buttons on the car's cd player. "We can trace them using the car's tracker."

"Yeah I think that only comes in the sport package."

"I made some enhancements when your car was in the shop," he says, the tracker coming to life. "We've got a signal. Let's go."

"Alright," Chuck says.

Opening the back door to the Buy More, they carefully creep in; Casey with his gun drawn.

"Wait hey Casey, Casey why would he bring them here?" Chuck whispers.

"I don't know, you wait here," he says before falling to the floor, getting straight back up a few seconds later. "Damn tranq dart."

They're interrupted by female screaming coming from the theatre room.

"C'mon," he says and they make their way over, peeking through the curtain.

Morgan sat on the couch eating the leftovers, the screaming coming from the movie he was watching.

"It's Morgan. He ate your quiches," Chuck whispers.

"We're on the wrong trail," Casey sighs. "C'mon."

* * *

"I got nothing," Casey says, pressing buttons on the tracker.

"What do you mean you got nothing, what do we-then what do we do?" Chuck asks.

"It's over, they're gone," he says.

"No no no, he has Bela! And this is our fault; we didn't believe Sarah now we have to save her," Chuck says. "Look if you were a bad guy what would you do; fly them out on a plane, would you use a boat or uh uh what?"

"Chopper; at a small airfield near the water, closest I could find," he says.

"Then do a satellite search using the touch screen, and then maybe limit that to airfields that are within a certain range of us and then maybe limit by-if there's activity on the ground?"

"That's not bad," Casey says, pressing some more buttons on the tracker.

"Thanks, yeah I was just kind of spit balling, just kind of top of my head," Chuck rants.

"Found it; Port of Los Angeles. Floor it," he says.

"Okay," Chuck says nervously, putting his foot down.

* * *

"So this is how this is gonna work," says Casey as they pull up at the docks. "I'm gonna go over there, rescue Bela and Sarah, capture Dr Zarnow and shoot anybody who gets in my way. You, you're gonna stay here."

"So in this plan I basically do nothing?" Chuck asks.

"Yep," he nods.

"Let's do this," Chuck says and Casey jumps out of the car, creeping around the crates before disappearing.

"Alright, alright; now we wait," Chuck says, looking around the port. He ducks down as Zarnow exits one of the warehouses, walking away.

"Stay in the car, stay in the car, do not leave the car, _do not_ leave this car," he says to himself, sighing before getting out of the car and running to the warehouse Zarnow had just vacated.

He creeps through the door, looking around until he sees Sarah, arms chained up to a pipe above her head.

"Sarah!" Chuck whispers, hurrying over to her. "Are you okay?"

She mumbles something against the duct tape on her mouth.

"Stupid question, ah should I?" he asks, gesturing to the tape as she nods. He rips it off quickly, making her wince.

"Chuck you have to get out of here," she says.

"No I'm here to save you… wait, where's Bela?" he asks, looking around.

"I don't know. Zarnow left me in the car while he took her somewhere," she says before adding, "But _you_, you shouldn't even be here you're too valuable. Besides, I have this well in hand."

"Uh huh, yeah 'cause it looks well in hand," he says.

"Okay just find me something to pick this lock," she says.

"I-don't… okay," he says, looking around before finding something. "Here."

The door rattles as he hands it to her.

"Go go go!" she whispers, and Chuck puts the tape back on before hiding. Zarnow walks around the corner, moving to stand in front of her.

"The helicopter's ready, Agent Walker. This is your last chance," he says. "We're going to a special facility where they're going to torture you; really torture. Not this child's play."

"Or you could just tell me, who is Patient X," he growls, before tilting his head to the door. "That girl, I'm sure she'll be easier to break once she's woken up."

Sarah mumbles something against the tape before he pulls out a needle.

"Something for the flight," he says, leaning toward her.

"Oh crap," Chuck says from his hiding spot, causing the doctor to turn and look at him. "Oh crap!"

Sarah yells as Zarnow throws the needle, narrowly missing Chuck but causing him to stop in his tracks. They turn to face each other, and Chuck seeing him face to face for the first time flashes on him.

"I know you, I know your secret!" Chuck says as Zarnow loads another tranq gun. "You've been feeding American science through Korea for years."

"Ahh Patient X. To think that my secrets are in that head of yours. It's an honour, really."

"Of course, to hell with honour; I'm here for the impressive dollar figure the human intersect will fetch. Who will I offer you to first?" he says before raising the gun, shooting Chuck in the chest.

"Guh… ah! Sarah… Sarah," Chuck gasps before collapsing.

"Don't worry Agent Walker," Zarnow says as he turns to face her. "I'll take good care of him."

She waits until they're gone to struggle with the handcuffs, undoing them just as Casey crashes through the door.

They run out onto the port as the helicopter takes off, Casey aiming his gun at it.

"No Casey don't shoot they have Chuck!" Sarah yells and he lowers the gun. She looks around quickly before adding, "Where's Bela?"

Casey frowns, shaking his head as realization hits them.

"Crap," he says, both of them returning their gazes to the helicopter.

"Proceed to Brava coordinates, the ship will be waiting there," Zarnow says to the pilot, unaware of Chuck waking in the back.

"Bela," he whispers, staring at the unconscious body next to his. He lifts her arm up slowly, pulling out the tranq dart stuck there. Frowning when she doesn't wake, he looks around, picking up the gun in front of him.

"Don't move!" he yells, aiming it at the doctor.

"You must be kidding," he says as he turns and faces Chuck.

"I want you to land the helicopter right now."

"It's heavier than you thought," Zarnow says.

"What?"

"The gun, it's heavy," he says, slowly reaching towards Chuck. "Give me back the gun."

"I'm not giving you the gun!" Chuck yells, trying to hold onto it before it goes off, shooting the pilot in the shoulder.

"You shot the pilot, you idiot" Zarnow says, falling over into the back as the helicopter spins.

"I didn't mean to do that!" Chuck yells, struggling to get the doctor off of Bela. "Uhm, who's flying this thing?"

"You're going to kill us all," the doctor says, falling onto Bela once again and grabbing her to steady himself.

"Get your hands off of her, get off of her!" Chuck yells, beating Zarnow's head into the roof and knocking him out.

He freaks out, climbing into the front and staring down at the controls.

"Oh God, that's a crane!" he says, quickly grabbing one of the levers.

"Oh my God Casey, I think Chuck's flying the chopper," Sarah says. Casey looks up before grabbing his phone, hurriedly dialling the numbers.

"Oh my God, oh my God," Chuck says to himself, pulling out his phone's headset as it rings.

"Hi, yeah I'm here," he says.

"Told you to stay in the car!" Casey yells.

"You know what forget about the car, tell me how to fly a helicopter."

"Alright there's a collective and the cycler control."

"What?" Chuck asks.

"One's the stick, one looks like an emergency brake grab 'em both!"

"Okay, I got 'em, I got 'em," Chuck says. "Oh, oh my God, oh my God, this is not working!"

"Push the stick just a bit forward while doing the same thing with the emergency brake."

Chuck does what he says, but finds the chopper veering downwards.

"Ground, not good!" Chuck yells.

"Pull up, pull up! Pull up on the emergency brake!" Casey yells into the phone. "Level off, level off!"

"I don't know how, I don't know how to level off!"

"Listen, moron; do you want to die?"

"_Casey put Sarah on the phone."_

"Give me the phone Casey," she says, snatching it from him. "Okay, uh Chuck? You're gonna be okay, now I need you to focus. Uh have you ever played any flying games before?"

"Flight simulators? Yeah flight simulators yeah sure I've done those yeah."

"Okay which ones?" she asks.

"Uh, Maverick of the Skies, uh Stealth… Fighter Elite, uh Patchett Chopper Patrol."

"Great; okay now remember that last one, I want you to pretend like you're playing that game okay? You're just in your bedroom playing a game and none of this is real," she says, Chuck beginning to calm down.

"It's just a game," he says. "It's just a game, okay. I can do this, I can play this game."

"Easy Chuck, easy," she says as he flies over the water.

"Uh is this one of those helicopters that can turn into a boat?" he asks.

"No, it isn't just ease to the right and goose the brake; they designed the game exactly like the helicopter."

"I got it," Chuck says, "I got it, almost there."

"A little more to the right," she says.

"Easing right… easing right," he says. "Goose the brake; it's just a game… a big, scary video game."

He lands the chopper shakily, but with little trouble. He laughs, turning to the pilot and thanking him before looking in the back.

"Bela!" he says, climbing over and pulling her carefully into the front before pulling her out the door. He stumbles for a moment before steadying himself, Bela stirring against him.

"Chuck?" she mumbles, looking up at him as Casey runs over. "What happened… is that a helicopter?"

"She okay?" Casey asks, continuing to the chopper at Chuck's nod.

"You don't want to know," Chuck smiles at her before helping her over to Sarah.

"What the hell were you thinking?" Sarah yells, snapping Bela awake. "The secrets that you both know are incredibly important; you compromised everything when you stopped trusting me!"

"And when you got out of the car," Casey says to Chuck as he joins them.

"Listen, um, I'm sorry okay?" he says, pulling Bela up as she starts to slip again.

"_No_, it is _not_ okay!" Sarah continues. "How could you think I was the double, huh? Now I am not Bryce, Bryce betrayed everything that I believe in and if either of you ever accuse me of that again, then I will walk away mission over, we all go back to Washington. And you do not want that to happen guys; that you should trust me on."

She walks away, leaving a confused Bela once again slipping back to sleep against Chuck.

"Way to go, ace," Casey says, then glancing at Bela adds, "Get her home."

* * *

"Dad's suit," Ellie says, watching Chuck straighten his tie.

"Yeah, it's my only one," he smiles.

"I'm great certain he wouldn't mind though," she says. "You realize that you don't have to go to Bryce's funeral."

"Yeah, yeah I guess. But, we had a lot of history; even if he did get me kicked out of school and steal my girlfriend," he says. "Plus, y'know Bela's going, and she's gonna be a mess so I want to be there for her, too."

"You're a good friend, Chuck. And you, well, you've moved on to bigger and better girls," she smiles. "I don't really mean bigger like literally bigger I just mean that um, I really like Sarah. And I hope you guys work things out, before the next dinner party of course."

"I don't know. I don't know sis, I… look I really think I blew it."

"Chuck just try apologizing it goes a long way," she says.

"Sarah's special, she's different from your Stanford friends," she says while fixing his tie.

"Yeah," he agrees. "Yeah."

* * *

Later at the funeral, Bela's seated down the front with the other mourners while Chuck stands back, leaning on a nearby tree. He looks across the graveyard, seeing Sarah, paying her respects at a distance similar to him. He goes to wave, but stops as she looks away, ignoring him. After a moment she leaves, tears spilling down her cheeks.

"Go," Casey says into his phone, watching Bela and Chuck out of view.

"He flew a helicopter," Beckman says on the other end. "Your report was rather terrifying Major Casey. Do we really have this situation in hand, especially now that another intersect is involved?"

"Well you know how I feel General, but there's two intersects, and two agents. For now it's under control," he says.

"Then they both stay where they are, but uh don't get too comfortable Casey; the new intersect will be up and running in 6 months."  
"And what happens to them when this is done?" Casey asks.

"You'll do what you do best," she says and Casey closes his phone, walking back to his car.

* * *

"Knock knock," says Chuck, walking into Wienerlicious as Sarah is clearing the tables.

"Hey Chuck," she says, turning to look at him before returning to wipe the table.

"How is everything, I saw you at the funeral."

"Oh uh, yeah I had to go," she shrugs. "After everything Bryce did he was still my partner."

"Look I'm not accusing you of anything… today uh," Chuck says, walking over to her now behind the counter. "Yesterday yes, I may have layed it on a little thick with the accusing, but I'm really sorry about that."

"Instead of not trusting you I should have been thanking you for saving my life, and protecting the country and and, making really tasty gourmet wieners," he says, slowly making her smile.

"I'm sorry I yelled at you," she says.

"It was our first fight; you know it's a big step if our relationship were remotely real."

"Y'know with Dr Zarnow gone now Chuck, those intersect secrets aren't going anywhere. That means more missions, more danger, more secrets that you've now brought Bela into. Neither of you can tell your sister, your friends."

"I know that," he says. "And so does Bela; she knows how dangerous this is, and she knows that she can't tell anyone."

"Some people want to be heroes and others have to be asked; so, Chuck are you ready?"

"Yeah," he sighs after a while, nodding his head.

"Good," Sarah says, the door opening and Ellie, Devon, Morgan and Bela all walk in.

"Hi," grins Ellie. "I hope we're not interrupting anything."

"Uhh," Chuck says, looking at them before turning back to Sarah. "By the way I though we'd give that dinner another shot, maybe here."

"We knew you'd forgive him," Morgan says while putting his arm around Ellie's shoulder before she pushes it off.

"Right and you all realise you all have to eat my cooking," Sarah smiles, the others walking up to the counter.

"Get a 411 on the corn dogs," Devon says, Bela leaning against the counter as Sarah smiles reassuringly at her.

"What do you recommend buddy?" Devon asks.

"Sarah, oh you, okay," Chuck says as she hands him a corn dog, which he stares at for a moment.

"Cheers," he says, Sarah grinning as he takes a bite, nodding as he chews it.

* * *

A/N: And that's the second chapter. So Bela is no longer a secret, and next she'll be going on her first official mission with Chuck and the agents in _Chuck vs. the Tango_. Please review guys; I'd love to get some more feedback!


	3. Chuck vs The Tango

A/N: Alright so I'm going to try and add a lot more Bela, because even I'm getting a little sick of writing the whole episode of Chuck word for word, so I can't imagine what it's like to read it all. Plus more Bela makes it a lot more interesting, especially where Casey/Bela is concerned. There'll still be a bit from the script, but not as much, I hope. Alright, here's the next chapter. Please let me know what you think.

* * *

"I'm working!" Bela yells, quickly sitting up on the couch in the theatre room. Sarah and Chuck stare at her as she shakes her head.

"Oh, it's just you. Yeah, I was sleeping," she yawns, standing up slowly as Casey storms in.

"Sorry to break up your little tryst, but next time you need to talk to the subjects, I'd appreciate a heads up," he says.

"Look I've only just woken up, and from what I've seen so far the only tryst going on was in my head," Bela says, mainly to herself.

"You still having those dreams, huh?" Chuck asks smirking at her while she smooths out her 'couch hair'. "And why were you sleeping?"

"Late night," she grins.

"As fascinating as your little conversation is, I presume Agent Walker brought you in here for a reason," Casey growls, interrupting the two. Sarah nods, placing some photos on the table in front of them.

"Why are these people sleeping?" Chuck asks, picking up one of them. Bela flops down next to him, picking one up herself.

"I… don't think they are, Chuck," Bela says slowly, screwing her face up at the amount of blood displayed in her particular photo.

"They were killed, and we want to know why," Sarah says.

"I have no idea," he says, Bela shaking her head as well.

"Well look again," Casey says, handing another photo to her.

"Really? I'd rather not, it's kind of creepy," she grimaces, standing up as Jeff walks in.

"Oh, sorry; I was gonna take a nap," he says, Chuck looking down at the newspaper under his arm. "I'll come back in 5; kind of called dibs on the couch."

"In 5? Jeff you knew I was in here," Bela says confused.

"It's a roomy couch, I didn't think you'd mind," he says, causing Casey to raise an eyebrow at the two.

"Go, now," she sighs, a sickened look crossing her face as he leaves the room.

"Chuck, what did you see?" Sarah asks, the only one noticing he'd had a flash.

"I'm uh I'm not totally sure, uh water lily painting, weapons, an art auction tomorrow night; does the name La Ciudad mean anything to you?" he asks, Casey and Sarah looking at each other at the mention of it.

"Why?" Casey asks.

"Because I think he's gonna be at the art auction tomorrow night," Chuck says, Bela quietly repeating the name to herself. "Right then, I'm gonna go fix some hard drives, good luck with the spy stuff."

Bela looks up after a moment, and notices Chuck's absence.

"Hard drives," Sarah says at her confused look.

"Right, yes, bye," she says, leaving quickly.

* * *

"Chuck I am so proud of you!" Ellie grins. "Bela told me about the Assistant Manager Job, congratulations!"

Bela shrugs as Chuck looks accusingly at her from across the kitchen.

"Team Bartowski, moving up in the world," Morgan says, eyeing Ellie as he walks past her out of the kitchen.

"Uh okay, first of all it's not mine yet," he says. "And second of all you can ease up on the enthusiasm it's only a two dollar an hour raise at an electronics store and it doesn't even give me my own parking space."

"Does your lack of interest mean you're actually considering leaving the Buy More for a real profession?" Ellie asks.

"Real profession, sorry I'm gonna need clarification on that," Morgan says.

"He went to Stanford for God's sakes Morgan," she says.

"So did I," Bela says, picking one of the cupcakes up off the counter. "And look where it got me."

"Right, but unlike our buddy here, you weren't unceremoniously expelled senior year. Sorry to bring that up champ, but I think we need to be realistic about our goals here."

"His goals or your goals?" Ellie asks, Chuck nodding to Bela to leave the two to their bickering and sit in the lounge room.

"You know if you did get your own parking space I'd steal it from you immediately," Bela says, glancing at him.

"You're the only one with a car," he snorts. "What would I even park there?"

"Eh, true," she shrugs.

"No date tonight?" Chuck asks as she picks up two cupcakes.

"Sometimes I like a night off," she smirks, handing Chuck one before leaning back in the couch next to him. She shakes her head at Ellie and Morgan. "They're still at it."

"They're just getting started," Chuck says, flipping a page in his PC Gamer magazine. Bela rests her arm on his shoulder, leaning forward slightly to better read one of the articles on the page. Chuck smiles to himself as she manages to get a smudge of chocolate on her cheek.

They both look up as Ellie asks Morgan what a gelding is.

"It's the-that weird creature from _The Dark Crystal_, 'Smells like gelding' that-that guy," Morgan says, Bela silencing her laughter against Chuck's shoulder.

"What he needs is something to challenge him," Devon says, joining Chuck and Bela on the couch. "Test his limitations, a brush with his own mortality. Know what I'm thinking?"

"I have no idea what you're thinking," Ellie says.

"I bet it's awesome," Bela says, nodding at Devon's look of approval.

"Class five white water rapids, just the two of us this weekend, near death experience; awesome!"

"That sounds great," Chuck says, standing up. "But my wet suit's at the dry cleaners."

"That is a terrible idea, that's way too dangerous," Ellie argues.

"I agree, and I am not comfortable with you guys spending that amount of time together," Morgan says.

"Well Chuck hasn't said a word, what do you want to do?" Ellie asks, everyone turning to look at him.

"I'm just gonna hit the sack," he says, walking out from the kitchen. "Goodnight Team Bartowski."

"That's-that's great work guys, you see what you're doing here? It's _awesome_," Morgan says sarcastically.

"Well I'm leaving," Bela says before she gets dragged into another conversation about Chuck's future. "G'night guys."

She grabs her jacket and waves, closing the door as they start talking again.

"Bela," says Casey, startling her as she pulls her jacket on.

"Son of a bitch, don't do that!" she growls, spinning around to face him.

"You have your first mission tomorrow night, with Chuck," he says amused at catching her off guard.

"Tomorrow night?" she frowns.

"Yeah," he nods, noticing her look. "What, you got plans? Cancel."

"Cancel, right," she nods, shaking her head as she goes to move past him.

"Wait," he says, turning her back around. He slowly reaches up and wipes the chocolate off of her cheek before realizing his actions and coughing. "Uhm, I'll see you at work tomorrow… right. Bye."

She watches him rush back to his apartment before laughing to herself.

* * *

"We rented you a dress," Sarah says, sitting opposite Bela outside Wienerlicious.

"A dress?" she groans.

"It's formal attire," Sarah nods, re-filling the napkin holders. "The idea with the cover is to keep it as simple as possible without revealing true personal details. Any thoughts on the name?"

"I need a name?" she asks, and at Sarah's look adds, "Of course I do. Uh Bela… Lugosi?"

"Cute. You have anything less recognisable?" Sarah asks, smirking.

"Right, that's ridiculous," she asks, standing up. "Can I think on it?"

"Sure," Sarah smiles. "So Casey and I will pick you up later tonight, your dress is at your apartment, and Bela?"

"Yeah?" she asks, rubbing the back of her neck anxiously.

"There's no reason to be nervous, we won't let you out of our sight."

* * *

"I'll have these back to you tomorrow, thank you so much!" Bela grins, taking the pair of heels from Ellie.

"Oh don't worry about it; I hardly wear them anymore so just keep them at your place. If I ever need them again you're like two blocks away," she laughs as Chuck walks out.

"Uh do either of you guys know how to tango?" he asks.

"No, why?" Ellie asks.

"Uh, no reason I just, I have a date tonight, I thought it might come up," he says, smiling at Bela's confused look.

"You're tangoing on a date?" Ellie asks. "Well that's definitely new territory, good to see you reaching outside of your comfort zone."

"Well considering my comfort zone extends to the end of that couch, new territory was bound to come up," he says as Devon walks up behind him.

"Did someone say tango?" he asks, grinning. Bela taps the shoes on her chin while glancing at him.

"No, thank you Captain Awesome I'll look it up online," he says before glancing down at the towel around Devon's waist. "Would you please put on something, a robe or something?"

"Did a semester abroad in Buenos Aires; spent many a night tangoing my way into senorita's pantaloons," he whispers to Chuck as Ellie raises an eyebrow at them.

"Let him teach you Chuck, it can't hurt right?" Bela teases, smirking at him while Devon pulls on a bathrobe before searching through his iPod.

"Shouldn't you be leaving? Don't you have a _big date_ tonight you should be getting reading for?" Chuck asks, frowning.

"I'm good, got plenty of time," she grins.

"Found it," Devon says, plugging his iPod into the speakers before walking towards Chuck. He grabs his hand, joining it with his before pulling his other hand up to rest on his shoulder. Bela laughs to herself as Devon puts his hand on Chuck's hip, pulling him close to Chuck's dismay.

"This is just precious," Bela beams, pulling her phone out and activating the video camera in it.

"Smile," she mouths when Chuck looks their way, Ellie nodding enthusiastically.

His eyes widen as Devon grabs his hands, pulling them back before smacking them on Chuck's butt.

"This is awesome," Bela chuckles while holding the camera up to film Devon as he pulls his bathrobe off. He walks over to Chuck before dipping him, then bringing him back up and spinning him.

"That was great!" smiles Ellie, walking over to the two.

"I think he's got the hang of it," Devon says, wrapping an arm around her. "Awesome."

Chuck walks over to Bela as she stares down at her phone, grinning.

"You've made me so happy," she laughs as he looks over her shoulder. "I have a feeling I might need this after tonight."

He rests his head on her shoulder, sighing. "We should probably start getting ready."

"We should," she agrees, before flipping her phone closed. "Oh hey, what's your cover name?"

"Charles Carmichael," he says as they walk over to the door. "And yours?"

"Well it was going to be Bela Lugosi," she smirks, making him laugh. "But now I'm thinking something along the line of… Isabela… something…"

"Wow, creative," he teases, Bela whacking him lightly on the arm as she blushes. "Why don't you just be Isabela Carmichael?"

"That's your name," she snorts, rolling her eyes at him.

"Yeah, I know," he shrugs.

"So what if the cover called for us to be with other people, and we're both Carmichael's?"

"You'd be my sister, of course," he beams. She laughs, shaking her head at him.

"Sure, Chuck, why not," she shrugs.

"That's Carmichael!" he says.

"Thanks, Ellie!" she calls from the door, waving the shoes. Ellie looks up from dancing with Devon and smiles, waving back.

"Good luck, Chuck," she smirks before slipping out the door.

* * *

"Casey," Bela says, surprised to see him as she opens her door.

"I was about to knock," he says as she turns and locks it, glancing appreciatively at the black backless dress she was wearing. "Sarah's in the car, she wants to know if you've chosen a name yet."

"Oh yeah," she smiles before slowing to a halt as she sees the car.

"What's wrong?" he asks, walking back to her. "Are you having a flash?"

"_That's_ the car?" she asks, eyes wide. "It's a freaking limo!"

"All part of the cover," he grins, surprising her by looping his arm with hers. "So your name?"

"My name," she nods, ignoring the feeling of his arm around hers. "Isabela Carmichael. Chuck's idea."

"Huh," Casey says, frowning.

"What?" she asks as he pulls away to open the limo door for her.

"Nothing, it's fine," he says after she climbs in, closing the door at her surprised look.

"Bela," Sarah smiles sitting on the opposite seat to her. "You look nice."

"Uh, thanks, I'm not really a uh dress wearer," Bela says, laughing nervously. "I'm actually really uncomfortable right now but uh you look... really great. Red suits you. Uh, Chuck was just getting ready when I left earlier, so he's probably all set now and-"

"You're rambling," Casey says from the front. "Don't do that at the auction."

"Sorry," she says, resting her hands on her lap. "I'm fine."

"Just calm down," Sarah smiles at her, before opening the car door. "I'll go get Chuck."

"Relax," Casey says, breaking the silence in the car. "You'll be alright. We won't let you out of our sight."

"I know, I know," she says, mostly to herself. "This is just a really big deal; I mean you're used to all of this. Chuck and me… we're not. This is insane to us!"

Casey turns, facing her. He stares at her for a moment before opening his mouth to say something.

"Evening," Chuck says, climbing into the limo.

"Chuck," Bela smiles and scoots over as he sits next to her. Casey grimaces briefly before turning back around. "Or should I say, Mr Carmichael."

"Miss Carmichael," he nods, smiling wide as Sarah climbs in opposite him.

* * *

"We're here," Casey says as the limo pulls up. Sarah turns to the two.

"Chuck," she says, handing him a black box. "This is for you."

"Inside the watch is a GPS tracking system, that way you can't run away from me."

"O… kay," Chuck says, putting the watch on as Sarah hands Bela a box.

"This bracelet also has a GPS tracking system. Now guys, if you flash on anyone tell me immediately and then stay out of the way."

"Absolutely, yeah; I always run from a fight," Chuck says, Bela nodding along.

"This isn't a joke, Chuck," Casey says from the front. "No one who's seen La Ciudad alive has lived to tell about it."

"Wait, what?" Bela asks.

"Is he being serious?" Chuck asks. "What are our chances of getting into trouble?"

"Toughen up, you'll be fine," Casey says. "Assuming you know how to tango."

"I did some preparation okay, I wouldn't call myself an expert-"

"Why would he need to know how to tango, is that code?" Sarah asks confused.

"No, not, no," Chuck says. "He told me that I needed to know how to tango."

Realization crosses Sarah's face and she slowly smiles, a chuckle coming from Casey.

"Spy humor, I like that," Bela grins.

"Come on guys, you ready?" Sarah asks as they climb out. Chuck helps Sarah out first before waiting and helping Bela, both taking one of his arms as they make their way into the auction.

As they reach the stairs, Chuck stops a waiter, grabbing an appetizer.

"Oh, nice," Sarah smiles as he drips sauce onto his shirt.

"I've been a spy all of five seconds and I already have soy sauce on my shirt," he says, Bela holding back a laugh.

"Well go and wash it off," Sarah says. "And Chuck? Stop saying that you're a spy."

"Right; of course."

"You doing okay?" Sarah asks Bela, watching her look around nervously.

"Great. Excellent," she lies. "I could really use a drink right about now."

Sarah smiles and shakes her head. "Go to the bar; see if anything triggers a flash. I'll be over with Chuck soon."

"Okay, great," Bela says, nodding. "The bar. Drinks. Good."

She walks up the stairs carefully, now definitely not being the best of times for her clumsiness to come out. Politely declining when asked to dance, she reaches the bar, her knee banging into the side before she stops.

"Sonofabitch," she hisses, making a face.

"Drink, ma'am?" Casey asks, hiding his amusement. She looks up at him shocked, her eyes quickly taking in his clothes.

"Rum and coke," she says, glaring at him as he rolls his eyes.

"Bela? Isabela?" asks a voice beside her.

"Uhh," she says, quickly exchanging glances with Casey.

"Alan Watterman! Stanford?" the man says, smiling.

"Oh, yeah! Hey, hi how are you?" she asks, frowning at Casey as he sets a cocktail down in front of her. He shrugs at her expression.

"I'm great, you look… _great_. I don't know if you heard but I sold out of my software company. Kind of unemployed," he rambles, Bela taking a large sip of her drink, wincing at its overly sweet taste. "Problem is, I'm too young to retire, and I'm too rich to work."

"Ahh that's… really, too bad," Bela says, feigning interest as she watches Chuck head in her direction.

"So what are you doing now?" he asks, leaning toward her. "Never did get that wedding invite."

She freezes at this, glancing at Casey nervously.

"Called off the engagement," she says, smiling as Chuck catches his eye behind her.

"Chuck Bartowski? Wow, everyone's here tonight!"

"Uh, no," Chuck starts but Bela interrupts.

"Chuck, it's Alan Watterman. From Stanford!" Bela beams.

"Oh, hey, hey Alan," he says, turning to face the two. Alan offers Bela his seat, moving to stand with his arm leaning on the bar behind her.

"I was just telling Bela I sold out of my software company."

"Oh, that's uh great!"

"Yeah. Too young to retire, right Alan?" Bela says.

"And too rich to work," he grins at her.

"Quite a pickle you find yourself in, Watterman," Chuck says, watching Bela as she raises her empty glass to Casey who shakes his head at her.

"So what are you doing now?" Alan asks but Bela quickly interrupts, resting her hand on Alan's as she toys with her empty glass.

"Another drink for the lady," he says, glancing briefly at Casey. Bela beams, staring at Casey as he reluctantly pours her another cocktail.

"Thank you," she smiles, taking the glass from him.

"Anyway, Chuck? Last I heard you were fixing computers or something?"

"Yeah, you know just kinda weighing my options right now. Uh you know, I maybe getting a managerial position at an electronics conglomerate," Chuck says slowly, watching Bela's reaction. She was too busy sipping her drink.

"Alright, well I always knew you'd make something of yourself," Alan smiles. "Who ya here with, or are you two here together?"

"What-no!" Bela says quickly shaking her head. "No."

"My date," Chuck says, pointing over to Sarah. "She's right over there."

All four turn and look, noticing her flirting with 'La Ciudad', who wraps an arm around her waist.

"Ouch," Alan says, Bela staring at the man.

"We have a very open relationship," Chuck mumbles.

"Hey," Casey whispers, getting her attention. "That him?"

Bela nods, trying to clear her head from the flash.

"Well, hey! Give me a call; you know if you need help with the whole job thing. I know people," Alan says, handing Chuck his card.

"Bet you do."

Alan rests his hand on Bela's shoulder as Chuck reads the card, flashing on it immediately.

"Insider trading and off-shore accounts in the Cayman's…" Chuck mumbles, Alan's eyes widening.

"What did you just say?" he asks slowly, Chuck looking up at him. "Do you work for the SEC? I gotta go."

He snatches his card from Chuck, before turning to Bela. "Uhh room 1009," he says before leaving.

"Huh," Chuck says.

"Idiot," Bela laughs before turning to Casey. "I'd like the drink I asked for now, _please_."

Casey smirks at her before Sarah catches his eye. She was being led away by two men, one with a gun to her back, the other being "La Ciudad."

"You stay," he says to the two as he jumps over the bar.

"Stay, stay? Like dogs," Chuck says, rolling his eyes at Bela as she stands up.

"Wait, where are you going?" he asks.

"Room 1009," she grins.

"Bela, no," Chuck sighs as she leaves.

"Alan!" Bela calls, quickly catching up to him.

"Hey," he says, still flustered. "Sorry about that, Chuck just said some things..."

"Yeah, he does that lately," she says, nodding. "He's got quite an imagination."

"So you two are still friends, after all these years?" he asks curious as they make their way to the elevator.

"He's my best friend," she smiles.

"Wow, sorry I just-ever since Bryce got him kicked out I thought you two would have grown apart, especially with your upcoming nuptials and everything," he explains, following her out of the lift.

"Bryce," she starts, clearing her throat briefly. "Bryce and I rushed into a lot of things, and in the end it just didn't work out and we went our separate ways."

"His loss," Alan grins, quickly unlocking his room.

She smiles, following him in before he shuts the door behind her. She sighs as he pulls her against him, his lips meeting hers hurriedly.

Blocking out thoughts of Bryce, Chuck, the Intersect, CIA and NSA she kissed him back, her arms moving to lock around his neck. He slides his hands down lower, moving them up under her dress before pushing her underwear down.

"Did you hear that?" she gasps, turning to the door.

"Nothing, room service," he mumbles, trying to pull her back. "Go away, room service!"

"You didn't _lock it?_" Bela yells at Alan as the door swing open, Sarah and Casey standing in the hall.

"Bela!" yells Sarah, shoving Casey out the door as he tries to look in.

"We ran into each other!" Bela says, pulling the straps on her dress up. "Uhm, and then some stuff happened."

"Let's go," she says, pulling her out the door.

"Wait!" Bela yells, grabbing onto Sarah for support as she untangles her underwear from her feet.

"Nice," Casey grins, leaning in the doorway before Sarah pushes him out.

"Erm, if everyone could just turn away?" she says, quickly glancing at Sarah as she pulls them on before hurrying out the door. "Bye, Alan!"

"Your _underwear_?" Sarah yells in disbelief, grabbing her arm.

"I said some stuff happened!" she argues, ignoring Casey's amused expression.

Sarah mumbles something to herself before snatching the tracker off of Casey, quickly locating the second dot.

"Come on," she says, the three taking off down the hall.

They soon arrive near the room Chuck was being held in, Casey quickly pulling Bela back as they peek around the corner.

"Stay here and I mean it this time," he whispers as both he and Sarah take out their guns.

"No problem," she nods, stepping out of their way. She watches them as Sarah grabs his hand, both of them laughing as they turn the corner.

"I didn't like it that much, though. He was kinda silly," Casey grins, turning to the opposite door.

"Really? Oh I kinda liked him," she says before turning to the guard.

"Hi," she smiles before kicking her leg out behind her, connecting with his shin then head.

Both duck as bullets start splintering through the door.

"Chuck, get down!" Sarah yells. They hear him scream through the door, Bela biting her lip as she peaks around the corner.

"Stay there!" Casey orders before turning to Sarah. "Let's do this."

He kicks in the door, the two firing their weapons at the guy on the balcony. Sarah kneels next to Chuck as Casey checks the balcony, looking over it briefly.

"Are you okay?" she asks.

"Okay? Okay? Two more seconds and I'd of been dead, they would have thrown me off the balcony!" he says.

"You tell them you work for us?" Casey growls.

"Of course not, where the hell were you guys?" he asks as Bela darts in, quickly running over to Chuck.

"You're still alive, I'd consider myself lucky," Casey says, glancing at Bela as she unties him.

"You okay?" Chuck asks her as he sits up. She blushes, turning away.

"I'm fine," she says, standing up.

* * *

"Bela… Bela…" Chuck whispers, knocking on her bedroom door.

'I need to steal his key,' she mentally notes before pulling a pillow over her head.

"Bela, get up," he says louder, opening the door slightly.

"No," she groans, throwing a pillow across the room at him. "Sleep."

"You're not even tired," he laughs as he flicks the light on, throwing a bunch of clothes from the floor on top of her. "Now get something on, we've got actual work to do. Work that we're good at."

"I hate you," she mumbles, shoving her feet into a skirt while rolling out of bed. "Why didn't you change?"

"Kinda in a hurry," he says, standing in the hallway as she dresses.

"Alright, alright," she says, pulling on a jumper as she follows him out.

* * *

"He looks like an animal," Bela says as they walk toward the storage cage, Morgan curled up against the side.

"That does not surprise me," Chuck laughs, holding a piece of cold pizza up to the side of the cage.

"Oh God," Morgan says, stirring instantly. "It's you!"

"Guys you have no idea the night I've had," he sighs, pulling them into a hug.

"Okay, settle down, settle down, it's all good," Chuck says, Bela pushing him off of her quickly.

"What happened?" she asks, hiding her amusement.

"Uh Tang showed up," he says as Chuck hands him the pizza slice. "And he dropped all these off, so I guess he was stashing them."

Bela shakes her head after pulling over another chair and sitting in front of the desk.

"Alright, let's do this," Morgan says, causing the two to stare at him.

"What are you talk-Morgan you don't know how to fix a computer," he says.

"Moral support man, never leave your wingman," he explains. "Something your team could learn a little something about."

"Look it's okay man, go get some sleep okay?" Chuck says.

"Are you sure? 'Cause you say the word and we'll all go down together," Morgan says, nodding at Bela who was watching the two.

"No, I appreciate that; but I think it would be nice if Bela and I just stay and do something we're good at tonight. So… we'll see ya," he says.

"Fantastic I'll see you later, good night guys," Morgan says, hurrying out.

"Let's do this," he says, handing Bela a screwdriver. She takes it, pausing.

"What's up?" he asks, glancing at her.

"I'm sorry," she whispers, smiling briefly before swallowing.

"Bela what is it?" he asks.

"Tonight, when Casey left to follow Sarah. When _I_ left..." she hesitates, shaking her head. "I did go to Alan's room. Sarah and Casey found me-us."

"Oh, _Bela_," he sighs.

"It's hard for me, okay! I know that this isn't any easier for you but damn it Chuck you are dealing with it a hell of a lot better than I am!" she yells. "You want to know why I went to Alan's room? Why every night since I found out that Bryce is dead I haven't been alone?"

"I loved Bryce, Chuck. Hell a part of me always will and I've never really let him go but now that he's gone? Now that I know I'm never gonna see the guy again? It's getting to me and I'm just doing what I know best, so if that means I'm gonna be drinking more over the next few weeks and making even worse choices in guys than I have before then so be it. I just hope you'll stick with me through all of it."

"Come here," Chuck says, standing up and walking over to her. He pulls her into his arms, her head going to his chest.

"Shh," he whispers, rubbing her back. "It's gonna be alright. Just do me a favor?"

"What's that?" she asks.

"Don't sleep with anyone at the Buy More," he smirks causing her to laugh as they pull apart.

"I can do that," she nods, the two moving back to their chairs.

* * *

"You finished Bartowski?" Big Mike asks, walking in.

"Mission accomplished," he says, closing the laptop in front of him.

"Woah, two days was meant as an incentive I didn't think you'd really do it. I'm impressed; and I'm not a man easily impressed."

"Well, I think you should know I only fixed the last few with Bela. My team did most of the work, they deserve the credit and you're only as good as your team," Chuck says.

"First rule of management; always take credit," he says as Bela walks in holding two cups of coffee. "Hope we can sell all this crap."

"Mike," she nods, handing Chuck one of the cups as Tang walk in.

"Sir, there has been a major infraction; drinking alcoholic beverages on the property," Tang says, glaring at the two.

"Nothing wrong with wetting your whistle every once in a while," Big Mike says. "Keep it out of the store next time guys."

"Absolutely sir," Bela says, flashing him a smile.

"You get extra points for style," he adds, his words directed more to Chuck but his eyes on at Bela. "Looking sharp."

"You look like a waiter," Tang growls before turning to Bela. "And you-"

"Don't even say it," she threatens before he drops the empty beer cans at her feet.

"Kiss asses," he mumbles before he leaves, Chuck laughing into his coffee.

"I take it you won't be going out tonight," he says, noticing Bela yawning.

"The only place I'm going tonight is my bed," she snorts before adding, "alone."

He chuckles, the two walking out onto the floor.

"Ladies," Casey says walking up to the two. "Good work last night."

Chuck rolls his eyes, grabbing Bela's arm and pulling her along with him.

"Okay, you know what we're working on an all nighter here and I realize that you're probably armed and so I'm gonna ask you very nicely will you please ease up on the sarcasm. I get enough of that from this _lady_," he says, nodding at Bela.

"I wasn't being facetious," he says, glancing at Bela quickly before returning his gaze to her again after noticing her attire. "You helped us find La Ciudad."

"She got away," she says, noticing his gaze.

"Yeah we got a photo from hotel security, we got a blood sample from a broken window and our Intel tells us she's headed down to central America; we have people waiting there," Casey explains before turning to Chuck. "Looking sharp."

"Yeah thanks!" he grins.

"_That_ was facetious," Casey says. "Idiot."

"Shut up," Chuck growls at Bela's laughs.

"Bela, Bela!" Chuck whispers, pulling her down next to him.

"What are you doing?" she hisses as he grabs the PA microphone.

"Chuck Bartowski to the storage cage, Chuck Bartowski please report to the storage cage," he says as she stares at him confused.

"You see those big guys?" he asks as they peek over the bench top.

"Oh," she whispers after flashing on them. "Oh, _crap!_"

They both look at each other as one of the guys notices them. Bela starts crawling away, Chuck close behind her.

"Stop staring at my underwear," she says, waiting for him to pass her.

"You—you're wearing a skirt, what was I meant to do," he stammers, turning red as he crawls past her. They quickly stand up as they reach the storage cage, looking around quickly before he pulls her back down under the desk.

They watch as one of the men walks in and enters the storage cage. Bela slowly crawls out and releases the pin in the door, causing it to shut.

"Ha!" she grins as Chuck stands up behind her.

"Oh shit, that was so broken this morning," she whispers as he opens it. He growls and grabs her arm, pulling her away from Chuck. He holds her down on her knees as she struggles against him while pointing a gun at Chuck.

He cocks it as Chuck squeezes his eyes shut, ignoring Bela's kicking. Chuck opens one eye at the sound of a crash, and looks down at the guy on the floor, still holding Bela.

"Little help?" she asks but Casey beats him to it, quickly wrapping an arm around her waist and hoisting her up. "Thanks."

They both watch as he drags the guy out by the leg.

"I'm good," she nods at his stare.

"_Charles Irving Bartowski of the Encino Bartowski's could you please report to the returns desk-"_

"Ahh, you are being beckoned," she grins as they leave the storage cage.

"What?" Chuck asks as they reach Morgan.

"Nothing," he grins. "I'm just loving this thing; you know what we should get one for your apartment."

Chuck ignores him and unplugs the PA microphone.

"Oh good news they fixed the lock on the storage cage," Morgan adds as Chuck walks away, taking the microphone with him.

"What?" he asks Bela as she shrugs, following him.

* * *

"Bela," Casey nods, standing in his doorway as she walks into the courtyard.

"Casey, hey," she smiles, walking over to him. "I was just on my way to Chuck's..."

He watches her stand there, glancing every now and then behind him into the apartment.

"How's your arm?" he asks, lightly running his fingers over the angry marks on her upper arm.

"A little tender, nothing I can't handle," she smiles, staring up at him. "Could of been worse, at least he didn't know I was the intersect, too."

"You were lucky," he agrees, the two turning at the sound of Chuck and Sarah walking over to the fountain.

"I talked to Chuck," she says quickly and he directs his attention back to her.

"About?" he asks confused.

"My uh, _issue_. About what happened at the auction... why you guys were late to help him."

"Oh, the underwear incident," he smirks.

"I got them back... and it wasn't _just_ to get my jollies off," she explains, shaking her head. "It's just... well, like I said to Chuck. It could have been my last time. I could have died last night and-"

"Instead you decided to hide in a hotel room screwing some guy you knew in college?"

"I knew you wouldn't understand," she growls, turning.

"Bela; wait," he says, stepping towards her.

"I get it," he says once she faces him again. She looks surprised before nodding.

"Thanks," she says.

"Though if you could keep it in your pants while we're working that would help a lot," he adds, a smile playing at the corner of his lips.

"I'll try," she says, flashing him a smile before skittering over to Chuck.

"Hey!" Bela laughs, leaping onto his back. She wraps her arms around his neck, leaning onto his shoulders. "Hi there!"

"Bela; evening," he laughs.

"Nice to _see_ you Bela," Morgan beams, nodding at her.

"Pervert," she mutters as she jumps down from Chuck, quickly fixing her skirt from Morgan's view.

"Man that dude is creepy," Morgan says, all three turning to see Casey watching them through his window.

"Agreed," Chuck says as Bela loops her arm with his, the three heading back to Chuck's apartment.

* * *

A/N: And there we are. Bela and Chuck's first mission which went pretty well, all things considered. I cut quite a bit out of this chapter so it's shorter than the last one and was a little easier to write because there was a lot more Bela. Next we have Chuck vs. the Wookie which, with Carina in it will be interesting to write. And I now have two weeks off from work so I'm hoping to get a few more chapters done before the new season of Chuck starts. Please review guys I really love your feedback.


	4. Chuck vs The Wookiee

A/N: Okay so this one was interesting to write as there was Carina to fit in there as well. This chapter is the start of the more 'involved' Casey/Bela relationship so we'll see where it goes from here. Hope you guys like this one, please review! And thank you so much to everyone who has reviewed so far. I really appreciate all of your feedback.

Also, this is the part in the story where the rating is changing to M. Won't be happening until near the end of this chapter, but from now on the story has an M rating to be safe. Alright, here's Chuck vs. the Wookie.

* * *

"Guys, guys did you know that there is an undercover DEA agent out in the courtyard?" Chuck asks, bursting in on Casey and Sarah's meeting with General Beckman and Director Graham.

"Relax, we know," Sarah says as Casey lowers his gun.

"Oh... should I go?" he asks, noticing the screen.

"He can say," Graham says.

"Uh uh who are they?" Chuck asks, pointing at the screen.

"Seen and not heard, we're being debriefed here," Casey growls.

"The diamond is heavily guarded inside of Peyman Alahi's Malibu compound."

"Are they with us?" Chuck asks, curious.

"Shh!" Casey says.

"Mr Alahi is an international financer of the opium cartel which is why the drug enforcement administration has asked us to cooperate."

"You'll assist Carina in acquiring the rock," Beckman adds.

"Acquiring?" Chuck asks before being shushed by Casey again.

"You'll take Chuck and Bela to Alahi's compound, get their intersect data on his alarm system, set up the grab for the following day," Graham says.

"Sir, Carina is a tremendous field agent," Sarah says. "But we can't trust her, the intersects are way too valuable."

"Alahi has friends outside the opium trade; we've received intel that he plans on moving the stone within the next 72 hours."

"Uhh, I've had dealings with Carina in the past too," Casey coughs. "She can be a bit of a wildcard."

"We're aware of what happened in Prague, Agent Casey," Graham says. "Which is why you and Agent Walker will return the diamond to us and under no circumstance is Carina to be trusted with it."

"What happened in Prague?" Chuck asks, Casey turning to glare at him. "I don't-I don't need to know."

They end the briefing and Sarah heads to the door, walking out to the courtyard with Chuck and Casey following.

"So, this is your team?" Carina asks.

"_My_ team," Casey says.

"Oh, hello Casey. Nice to see you with your pants on," she smirks, Chuck glancing at Casey before quickly looking away.

"And uh, who might you be?" she asks Chuck.

"I'm Ch-Chuck, the new guy," he mumbles.

"Really?"

"He's an analyst," Sarah explains.

"Hey Chuck," Morgan says, walking over with Bela.

"More of your team?" Carina asks.

"Bela's another analyst but Morgan is Chuck's best friend, a civilian."

"Hey Morgan, Bela; this is my friend Carina, we used to work together."

Bela freezes as Morgan introduces himself, trying to clear the flashes from her head.

"Bela?" Carina asks, frowning. She unfreezes, quickly smiling at her.

"Hi," Bela nods, moving to stand next to Chuck. She stares at him before turning back and watching Morgan talk to Carina.

* * *

"I can guess what Casey's doing here, but what about these analysts; what are they analyzing?" Carina asks Sarah in Wienerlicious.

"Well Chuck... our cover is boyfriend girlfriend. Bela is Chuck's other best friend," she explains.

"Speaking of, I'm sorry to hear about Bryce," Carina says.

"Thanks; it's ah it's been hard," Sarah says, smiling slightly.

"Of course. Getting dead is an occupational hazard."

"So Casey and Bela... their cover's not boyfriend girlfriend as well?" she asks curiously.

"No," Sarah laughs. "I wouldn't subject Bela to that."

"Hmm, so what is the assignment here anyway?"

"It's top secret."

"So I guess I'll just talk to Chuck and Bela myself," Carina says, heading to the door.

"That's not happening, either," Sarah says before noticing her actions.

"Hey, Carina come on! Carina!" She yells before being stopped by her boss.

"Where do you think you're going, I need two eyes on the revolving wieners; hear me?" he says.

* * *

"Oh my God she is way too good for him," Jeff says as he and Lester watch Morgan talk to Carina.

"She's too good for the store, isn't there a nicer establishment where beautiful people can shop?" he says before running his eyes over Bela as she joins them with Chuck. "Bela, is there such an establishment?"

"Of course, she goes there all the time," Chuck smiles before being lightly punched in the arm.

"Idiot," Bela laughs, the two turning to look at Carina. She looks at them and waves, both waving back.

"Chuck you have to fix me up with Carina," Morgan says as he walks over, Sarah now talking to Carina.

"No, no I mean actually I don't think that's such a good idea Morgan," he says.

"Chuck, I know what a third wheel is; it's me. Give me a chance here man, let me be a fourth wheel for once. Or maybe like any other even number?"

"What are you doing here?" Sarah asks.

"I'm just getting to know your team," Carina says. "If I'm gonna trust them with my life and my diamond I want to be certain they're the best."

"Wait, you don't think I'm good enough; that's it," Morgan says, Lester quickly agreeing.

"No, no!" Chuck says, Bela raising an eyebrow at the two. "I just, ahh..."

"If you can get Sarah, man that means just about anything's possible," he says as Lester agrees again. "Let me spread my wings here man."

"Fine, fine I'll see what I can do," Chuck says. "But no promises."

"Thank you!" Morgan grins, watching as Chuck pulls Bela along with him.

"Have the girls gotten hotter around here or is it just me?" Frank asks.

"Well this is my op and my rules so you're gonna do exactly as I say," Sarah says as the two join them.

"We'll see about that," Carina says.

"Sarah, hey," Chuck says. "Sorry to interrupt, hi Carina. Can I just talk to you for a second?"

"Sure," Sarah says as the two leave Bela and Carina alone.

"Well," Carina says, pulling Bela away to the side. "You're an analyst?"

Bela quickly runs through her earlier conversation with Sarah and Chuck in her head.

"That's right," she nods quickly. "Uh, so you used to work with Sarah?"

"Yes," she smiles, noticing Casey watching them from across the room. He quickly looks away. "And you and Casey?"

"Casey and me what?" she asks, raising an eyebrow.

"You're sleeping together, right?" she asks causing Bela to laugh.

"What's so funny?" Sarah asks as she joins them.

"Nothing," Carina says, grinning at Sarah. "We were just having a little chat."

"Uh huh. Carina, you want my help with your mission?"

"I believe those were your orders."

"Then I need your help to protect Chuck and Bela's cover," Sarah says, smirking at Bela's confused look. "You're going on a double date, with Morgan."

"Small price to pay," Carina says, glancing at Bela's chuckling.

"Why not make it a party, get Bela and Casey to come along too?" she asks.

"What? No," Bela says, shaking her head. "I mean-no."

"Don't be ridiculous," Sarah says.

"Oh fine. So which one of those geeks is Morgan?" Carina asks.

"Green shirt," Bela says, nodding.

"Oh," Carina says, smiling at Morgan. "Well that'll be fun."

* * *

"Damn it," Casey growls, taking off his earpiece at the knocking coming from the door. He grudgingly gets up, annoyance on his face as he swings the door open.

"Hi," Bela says at Casey's surprised look. He takes in her outfit, the low cut top fitting snugly to her curves and the skirt stopping just above her knees. The heels caused all kinds of thoughts to go through his mind which he quickly tried to suppress.

'Must have been on a date,' he notes, meeting her eyes again.

"Uh, can I come in?" she asks awkwardly.

"Sure," he says, stepping back. He watches her make her way into the next room as he closes the door.

"Good date?" he asks, walking into the living room to join her.

"Wouldn't know, I never made it," she says, avoiding eye contact as she sits down.

"Ah hah," he says, sitting opposite her. "And why's that?"

She shrugs, playing with the hem of her skirt. "Didn't feel like it, I guess."

"Doesn't sound like you?" That got her attention.

"And what do you know about me, exactly? Other than what your little files say," she asks sharply.

"Feisty tonight, aren't we?" he chuckles. "So tell me, why aren't you on your date?"

She sighs, shaking her head. "I thought there might be a mission tonight, for Chuck and me. I wanted to be close, just in case."

He smirks, standing up and walking over to the surveillance equipment and switching it off.

"Nothing's happening tonight," he says and turns to her. "Could'a gone on that date after all."

"Well damn, now you tell me," she laughs, standing up.

She goes to move to the door before something catches her eye.

"What the hell," she whispers, moving further into Casey's living room where his wall of photos was.

"What?" he asks, following her.

"Why the _hell_ do you have photos of my dad up here?" she yells.

"Surveillance," he shrugs, not understanding her anger. "There's photos of Bartowski's family too."

"But this is my dad!" she growls.

"I don't see the problem," he says before she starts pulling them down. "Hey!"

"Let me go," she says through clenched teeth as his hands keep a firm hold around her wrists.

"Stop destroying government property," he says seriously.

"Then give me these photos," she says.

"Tell me why you're so concerned about them?" he asks, leaning closer to her.

She swallows, her eyes flicking down to his lips.

"Mmm," she moans as he pulls her against him and crushes her lips with his, backing her against the wall. She slides her hands up his shirt, resting them on his shoulders as he pulls away to kiss along her jaw.

"Casey," she whispers before he captures her lips again. He lets his hands travel down her sides, his fingers lingering on the bottom of her skirt.

They slide back up and rest on her hips as he turns his head against her neck, his fingers slowly tracing the skin under her shirt.

"Oh," she sighs, staring up at him as he pulls away. He releases his grip on her hips, stepping back. "Okay."

"Okay?" he asks after a moment.

"No, I mean-not the kiss, the kiss was... wow. But Casey... you kissed me," she stutters, watching him quickly move into the kitchen.

"No," he says, opening the fridge. Now it was Bela's turn to be confused.

"No?" she asks, following him.

He takes out two beers, handing her one as she turns to him.

"What do you mean 'no'?" she asks, leaning against the counter. He watches her movements as he downs half of his beer.

"This isn't our cover," he says, gesturing between them. "Not like Bartowski and Agent Walker."

"I know," she says, nodding. "But from what Chuck's told me, what we just did is a lot more than they have."

"Gonna tell me about the photos?" he asks, ignoring the flash of anger cross her features again.

"It's not the photos, it's my dad," she says before explaining. "You've got surveillance photos of _my dad_; that means you've been spying on him and whatever else. I _do not_ want him involved in any of this."

"And he won't be, it's just a precaution," Casey says as she swallows down more beer.

"Anything happens to him and I don't know what I'd do," she says. "He's all I've ever had."

"Anything happens to him and I promise we'll take care of it," he says, staring into her eyes. "I _promise_."

"Alright," she nods as she sets her beer down, straightening up.

"I should go," she says. "We have a big day tomorrow."

"Yeah," he says, walking her to the door.

"Goodnight, Agent Casey," she smirks as he leans against the doorframe, watching her leave.

* * *

"Bela," Chuck says, walking over to the service desk.

"Yes?" she asks, smiling up at him. "Oh how'd your double date go last night?"

"Fine, fine can we talk?" he asks, taking her arm.

"Sure," she says as he leads her to the theatre room. "What's up?"

He sits down, resting his head in his hands before looking up at her.

"Sarah dated Bryce, when they worked together. They were together," he says, watching for her reaction.

She frowns, opening her mouth before quickly closing it.

"Oh...," she says, nodding. "Okay."

"_Oh, okay?"_ he asks, standing up.

"What do you want me to say, Chuck? Oh what a bitch, she dated Bryce years after I broke up with him? I thought you knew me better."

"Bela, I'm sorry. I just-"

"Forget it," she growls, storming out.

Casey notices her walk past and calls out to her.

"Hey, I needed to talk-"

"Not now," she says, rushing past him.

"Bela," he says, following her. She sighs, ignoring him as she walks into the staff room. "Hey!"

"I said not now!" she yells but he grabs her by the shoulders and hoists her into one of the chairs.

"Talk, now," he orders, sitting opposite her.

"You're insufferable," she mutters, staring up at him. He leans towards her.

"What's wrong?" he asks. She sighs and tries to stand but he quickly pushes her back down.

"Casey, it's nothing," she says.

"Is this about last night?" he asks.

"No," she says, shaking her head as Chuck walks in, followed by Sarah. Bela briefly tenses at the sight of the other woman, Casey only just noticing her reaction.

"We're ready," Sarah says as they stand up, Casey nodding. "Bela?"

"I'm ready," she says, smiling half heartedly.

* * *

"Thanks," Bela says as Sarah hands her a glass of water before taking her own. They both turn and walk back towards the pool.

"You should have just told him, about Bryce," she says, taking a sip of her water.

"Carina told you, too?" Sarah asks in disbelief.

"What? No, Chuck told me earlier," she explains.

"Oh," she says, glancing across at Carina and Chuck. "I just didn't want to... upset him."

"Yeah... it didn't work," Bela says, smiling lightly.

"How mad is he?" Sarah asks as they walk around the pool.

"I wouldn't say mad... Chuck just has his own way of dealing with things. Give him some time..."

"It's for the cover, you know. If he's upset with me in any way it's bad for the cover," she stammers, taking a large sip of her drink as she turns red.

"Of course," Bela nods, pretending not to notice. She follows Chuck as Sarah reaches Carina.

"You see that guy over there," Chuck says, glancing at Peyman.

"Cousin It?" she asks, smirking.

"Yeah," he laughs, nodding as he takes a water from one of the waiters.

"Hey," Sarah says, joining them. "We okay? How are you?"

"Uh yeah, I'm cool," Chuck says. "So I count 6 SVB 54 explosion protected security cameras with infrared surveillance."

"Did you have a flash?" Sarah asks, Bela shaking her head when she glances at her.

"No, they sell them at the spy shop in the Buy More plaza," he explains as Carina joins them.

"Thermal imaging cameras north and west walls," he says as they walk up closer to the house.

"Someone really doesn't want us getting in there," Sarah says.

"Let's go for a little stroll," Carina says as she walks ahead, picking the lock on one of the doors.

"So I guess if this were you and Bryce you'd be breaking into the bedroom, hey Sarah?" Chuck jokes.

"Chuck now is not the time," Sarah says, Bela shooting him a bemused look at his comment.

"Okay," he says, Bela pushing past him inside.

They make their way down some stairs, Carina plugging a device into the wall once she reaches the bottom.

"That's awesome," Bela laughs as the glass doors slide open.

"There you are," Carina says, eying the diamond.

"I really think we should go now," Sarah says nervously.

"Just 30 more seconds," Carina says, all four turning at the sound of guns being cocked.

"So you like my diamond?" Peyman asks, standing in the doorway with two armed guards.

"Oh, yeah! It's really pretty," Sarah says, glancing at Carina.

"You're not supposed to be here," he says.

"Oh, I'm really sorry but the door was unlocked," she explains. "And, uh, who are you?"

"Pretty girls call me Peyman."

"Hey Peyman," Carina and Bela say, smiling.

"I'm Carina, this is Bela and that's Sarah. And this is our brother Chucky!" she grins.

"Yo," Chuck says.

"Brother? More good news for me," Peyman says, walking over to them as the guards leave. He puts his arms around Carina and Bela's shoulders.

"So what do I have to do to get this thing on my finger?" Carina asks, looking at the diamond.

"It is said that he who owns the navanenoir, rules the world."

"Wow, so uh what if someone tried to steal it?" asks Carina, Chuck smiling nervously as the girls laugh.

"It's impossible to steal," he says. "Because if touched the vault will seal itself off, gas will fill the room, and after that my security team would eliminate the threat."

He mimics shooting someone in the head.

"Ooh," Bela says, her eyes widening.

"But me, I'm more of a lover than a fighter," he says his hand slipping lower on Bela's back.

"Oh!" she gasps, the other girls giggling.

"You know, I saw some really cool paintings outside, can I see them?" Sarah asks, and he leaves Carina; taking the other two women with him.

"Uh the guy wearing the fur sweater failed to mention one fairly significant security detail," Chuck says after flashing on the diamond.

"Like what?" Carina asks.

"20,000 volts of electricity protecting the stone."

"Hmm problematic; how are you gonna fix that?" she asks.

"Uh, I'm sorry you're asking me?"

"Yeah, Sarah told me you're supposed to have this really big brain. So for a follow-up mission what do you recommend?" she asks.

"Uh I mean now that we know there's a trap I might use compressed air to knock it off the pedestal."

"Like-like what?"

"I don't-you know, something like that oh that!" he says, pointing to the fire extinguisher on the wall.

"Carina?" he asks as she picks it up. "Carina, what are you doing?"

"Improvising," she says, Chuck catching the diamond as it's blown off but crashing into one of the statues.

Sarah punches out Peyman as the alarms sound, Carina sliding out from under the gap in the door.

"Hey, this was only recon," Sarah growls as Bela stares at Chuck through the door. They look up as security comes down the stairs at them, the two agents knocking them out as Chuck slides under the door.

"I-I got it," he says as Sarah helps him up before running up the stairs.

"What were you thinking?" Sarah asks as they make their way outside.

"Bad guys approaching fast!" Bela yells, pointing ahead of them.

"I made a split second decision," Carina says as they fight more of the security guards. "I was doing us a favor."

"Stop doing me favors!" Sarah yells back, throwing a plate at one of the men as he aims a gun at Bela and Chuck.

"Thank you!" they yell.

"Carina improvised, she snatched the diamond. Meet us on the beach," Sarah says into her communication link with Casey.

"I'm on it," he says.

"Carina, what now?" Sarah asks, running onto the beach.

"You guys run for it, give me the stone I'll take the heat. You can double back and get me out."

"What? No, she's lying," Sarah says.

"Guys, trust me," she says, turning to Bela and Chuck.

"Remember what I said," Sarah says to Chuck.

"Bela, come on!" Carina urges.

"Oh yeah?" Chuck asks, staring at Sarah. "Which lie are you referring to?"

"It's so hard to keep track these days," he says, throwing the stone to Carina.

"Thanks Chuck," she says, pressing a button on her watch activating a jet ski off shore.

"You planned this?" Sarah yells as Carina runs toward the water.

"Catch you later!" she calls back, pulling off her dress to reveal her bikini.

"Oops," Bela says as they watch her leave, ignoring the look from Sarah as she looks over her shoulder. "Oh my God."

Chuck and Sarah turn and see two more security guards make their way onto the beach.

"Get in!" Casey yells, shooting at the guards from the Hummer.

"Get in the front," Sarah yells at Chuck, pushing Bela towards the back door. They climb in, Casey quickly taking off.

"I have to be able to trust you on a mission Chuck, no matter how you're feeling about me personally," Sarah growls, leaning into the front.

"How am I supposed to know that Carina has a remote control jet ski, it's not usually an option in real life!" he argues.

"Our orders were to bring the diamond in, Chuck."

"What is she gonna do with it, is she gonna sell it?" he asks.

"Nah, she's a gamer, she'll give it to her boss as a move up to the DA's covert ranks," Casey explains. The two men look into the rear-view mirror as Sarah lies down.

"What are you doing?" Bela asks as she leans onto her, pulling her skirt on.

"I can't believe I have to work this stupid hot dog shift," she mutters. "I call in sick again I'll get canned."

She mumbles something under her breath as her phone rings, quickly pulling it out.

"What?" she asks.

"Don't be mad," Carina says on the other end.

"Well you left us to die," Sarah growls.

"I knew you'd get out of it."

"You're burning a bridge Carina and the CIA is gonna have your ass for this," she says, Casey tracing the number as he drives.

"Well I gotta run thanks again," Carina grins, hanging up.

"You go to work, I'll get the diamond back," Casey says.

"What?"

"NSA magic, I put a trace on her phone; wherever she's going I'm going," he explains.

"Eyes up front soldier," he says, flipping up the mirror after noticing Chuck stare at Sarah buttoning up her shirt.

"I-what are you, I was looking," he stutters before glaring at Casey.

* * *

"X-Box? Where's Sarah?" Morgan asks, sitting on Chuck's bed next to a sleeping Bela.

"We had a fight, you don't want to hear about it," he says.

"It's your first fight, that's kind of a big deal," Morgan says, leaning back against the pillows. "I wonder what our first fight would have been like."

"Man I know it's stupid but it's Sarah's fault I think. I never would have done it if she'd of just told me the truth to begin with you're not even listening to me are you?"

"No, sorry man I stopped listening when it wasn't about Carina. And how she kissed me. And then dumped me."

"Carina-you kissed Carina?" Chuck asks in disbelief.

"Yeah man. At her hotel, on the lips," he says, Chuck's jaw dropping. "But I guess she has some past relationship; something I don't know man, whatever."

"Her loss," he adds, accidentally hitting Bela with his empty soda can.

"Son of a bitch," she hisses, rolling over.

"Want another one?" Chuck asks, pulling Bela up from the bed.

"Yeah, I feel a bender coming on," he says.

"Alright, one grape soda coming up," he says as Bela follows him, stretching her arms above her head.

"Thanks bro. Oh hey I got the new Stealth Underlords game, I was gonna surprise Carina but that's another thing she'll be missing out on," he mutters. "So if you wanna grab it, it's in my bag."

"Sure," he says, Bela passing him in the doorway.

"Oh and Chuck? Can I get some more pizza 'cause I'm feeling a little hmm," he adds, making a face.

"Got it."

"And Chuck?"

"Yes, Morgan?" he sighs.

"You know what if our relationships don't work out, okay. 'Cause we got each other, don't we," he says.

"That's really, really sad," Bela says, joining Chuck again.

"I know," they say.

* * *

"She _kissed_ him?" Bela asks, leaning against the kitchen counter. "On the _lips_?"

"Yep," Chuck laughs, pulling out the video game from Morgan's bag.

"Chuck..." Bela says, staring at the small black bag sitting on top of it. "Isn't that..."

She stops, both of them flashing on the diamond in Chuck's hand.

"He who owns the navanenoir rules the world," they whisper.

"Call Sarah _now_," she growls, grabbing the stone from him and putting it back in the black bag.

"Sarah hey, oh hey thank God. Listen I know that you're really mad at me right now okay but-wait, you know this is Chuck right?" he asks, Bela rolling her eyes.

"Okay good listen, the diamond-the diamond that we stole from the woolly mammoth it is not a drug diamond, I repeat it is not a drug diamond it belongs to an Afghani terrorist group; look I can get into a lot more details but the point is it is way more dangerous than we thought."

"Chuck, find me Carina and tell her to bring me the diamond. Please," she says on the other line before hanging up.

"Hey Morgan buddy, long story but I'm gonna have to go ahead and-woah," he says, bumping into the back of Bela.

"What-" he starts before looking past her, seeing the masked person.

"Uhh hey listen, go ahead and take whatever you want okay I keep a little cash in my sock draw and by little I mean spare change," he stutters.

The person gestures at the two.

"Pizza? Yeah absolutely help yourself it's right behind me on the counter."

They shake their head, pointing at the bag Bela held in her hand.

"That? We can't actually give you that because it's not ours to give really," he says before quickly pulling Bela back, the two running out of the kitchen.

The figure chases them, flipping in front of them and blocking their exit. Chuck looks down, throwing the plate at their head.

"Ouch!" they yell, groaning.

"Carina?" Bela asks.

"Fine, it's me," she says, pulling the mask off. "The mask is so Martin wouldn't ID me. Now give me the diamond."

"Wait, nononono we need your help, Sarah's in trouble," Chuck says.

"Sarah's fine, she's very resourceful. Now the rock?" she asks, glancing at Bela.

"Wait so you're just going to cross your fingers and hope for the best, instead of helping your friend?" Chuck asks.

"Oh come on Chuck. You know this thing of ours? We're all in it for ourselves, it's what we do."

"That's not what Sarah does. And if she had of thought that in Pakistan, then you wouldn't be alive now to have this conversation."

"You want it?" he asks, taking the bag from Bela. "Here you go. But with or without you, we're gonna go help Sarah."

"Just hold onto it," she sighs, handing it back to Bela. "In case I change my mind."

"What's the ETA on my pizza?" Morgan calls out as the two women leave.

"Uh buddy I gotta go pick up some more and your grape soda's on the kitchen floor," Chuck calls back before following them.

* * *

"You carry the diamond," Carina says to Bela. "I'll act as intermediary."

"Sure," Bela nods, glancing at Chuck on the other side of Carina.

"And listen, if we're still alive afterwards? How 'bout we go back to my room," she says, turning to Chuck.

"I'm kinda stuck back on the still alive part," he mumbles as they turn, seeing Sarah surrounded by Peyman and his guards.

"Do you have what I want?" Alahi asks and Bela reaches for the bag.

"Maybe," Carina says. "Maybe I pawned it for front row tickets to Justin Timberlake."

Bela laughs at this, her eyes widening as she quickly apologises.

"Why do you always have to provoke people?" Sarah asks Carina as Peyman cocks the gun held at Sarah's head.

"Show me the diamond," he says.

"We have it, we have it right here!" Chuck says when no one answers, lifting up Bela's arm. She unties the tie, holding the stone up for him to see.

"There it is," she says.

"Now give it to me."

"No," Carina says.

"I know that I'm new at this, but I'm pretty sure that this is the part where we do what the man says," Chuck growls.

"He didn't say please," she says, taking the diamond. "Now, if you want it so badly? Try taking it away from me."

"Look around you," Peyman says. "Everyone in the room is with me. What are you gonna do, fight us all? All by yourself?"

"She's not by herself," Sarah says.

"If I throw you the keys, will you drop them?" Carina asks her in Swedish.

"Only if you throw it like your mommy," she replies in Polish and Carina quickly pushes Bela and Chuck backwards before punching out one of the guards.

Sarah grabs Peyman's gun as she kicks him in the face, knocking him down. She catches the handcuff keys from Carina before she punches out another guard.

Carina drops the diamond as she bends back and Chuck grabs it from under the table he and Bela were hiding under, both hitting their heads as a guard finds them. They crawl out, quickly running into the corridor as the guard follows them.

"In here," Chuck says, running into the business centre and locking the door as soon as Bela's in.

"Ah!" he yells as the guard slams against the door. "Gotta hide it, gotta hide it!"

"Here," Bela says, quickly printing off a postal slip from the computer. Chuck puts the diamond in the box, sealing it up as the guard breaks through the door.

"Wait!" Bela yells, the guard staring at her. She points at Chuck, holding the box above the mail chute. "You know where that goes?"

"No," the man says.

"Neither do I... so step back or he lets it go," she threatens, the guard stepping back a few paces.

"Now what?" he asks.

"You know I'm not really sure, I hadn't thought it through that far," she says, her eyes widening as Casey knocks the guard out from behind.

"Ahh!" Chuck yells, dropping the box down the chute in surprise. "Oh!"

"What?" Casey asks at their guilty looks.

"What?" Bela asks, shrugging.

* * *

"Well, this was fun," Carina says, joining the four outside Chuck's apartment.

"It was great meeting you," Bela smiles, hugging Carina.

"You too; I can uh, see you going far," she smiles, glancing at Casey.

"Right now I'll be going to work," she laughs, ignoring the other woman's amused glance. She grabs her bag, punching Chuck lightly on the shoulder before leaving.

"Goodbye, Carina," Casey says. "Working with you has been, well let's never do this again."

"Thanks Johnny, maybe next time you can shake it up a bit and pull the four leaf clovers out of the rotation?" she asks. He laughs as he walks past her but she catches his arm.

"Go talk to Bela," she whispers to him, smiling.

"What?" he laughs, shaking his head.

"Real convincing Casey, now go."

He frowns at her but quickly makes off in the direction that Bela did earlier.

He finds her jogging out of her apartment's front gates, keys in hand.

"Bela," he calls, walking up to her.

"Hey, Casey," she smiles, shutting the gate. She reaches into her pocket, pulling out her phone.

"So Sarah sent me an interesting message earlier," she says, showing him the picture of him in his boxers and handcuffed to the bed. "Clovers?"

He chuckles, shaking his head.

"I guess you and Carina are pretty close then, huh?" she smirks.

"What? No, not... like that."

"Uh huh," she says slowly, unconvinced.

"It was one time," he shrugs, watching her. She smiles, shaking her head.

"You don't need to be telling me this. You know my history, I'm sure. I don't need to know yours," she says, sliding her phone into her pocket.

"Bela?" he asks, glancing at her.

"Yeah, Casey?" she smiles, the two making their way back to Chuck's.

"Dinner, tonight," he says.

"Do we have a mission? I haven't flashed on anything, what did Chuck see?" she frowns.

"No, it's uh not to discuss a mission," he says, looking around.

"Oh," she says, this getting her attention. She smiles at his expression. "Is this a date?"

"No!" he says quickly before coughing. "I don't... Yes."

"Alright," she says, nodding. "I'll come over after work."

"Good," he nods, straightening up. "I'll see you then."

"Hey," Chuck says, joining them. Casey growls before leaving.

"What was that about?" Chuck asks.

"Just... talking about the mission," she says, frowning. "Chuck..."

"Yeah?" he asks.

"I'm sorry about earlier. How I reacted to what you told me about Sarah and, uh, Bryce?"

"It's fine," he shrugs.

"No it's not, I was a bitch. I know that Bryce and me happened a long time ago but... I don't know, we never really did have a proper break up. Not really."

"Do you miss him?" Chuck asks, staring at her. She nods.

"Sometimes. But look, I know you were looking for someone to talk to, and I'm sorry I wasn't there for you," she says, resting her head on his shoulder.

"I just thought Sarah would have told me... us about it," he sighs.

"I haven't told either of them about Bryce and me," she whispers. He kisses the top of her head, both of them straightening up.

"That's none of their business," he says.

They stand there in silence before he grabs her hand, pulling her along with him.

"We're gonna be late," he explains, pulling his keys out.

* * *

"Casey," she smiles, taking in his jeans and dress shirt. "You look nice."

He closes the door behind her, watching her turn.

"You make me feel bad for not getting all dressed up," she says, taking off her jacket. He takes it from her, smirking at the little red dress she was wearing.

"Thought you didn't like dresses," he chuckles, watching her walk around.

"I don't, so you should feel special," she smiles.

"Dinner's not ready, yet," he says, offering her a beer.

"You cooked," she smiles, noticing the pots on the stove as she takes the drink.

"You seem to eat a lot of take away with Chuck, I figured you might want a change," he says.

"Thank you, I think," she smiles. "So uh, do I get a tour?"

"Sure," he says as they set their drinks down on the counter.

He rests a hand on her shoulder.

"Kitchen, living room," he says, gesturing around the apartment. "Hallway."

She laughs as he leads her up the stairs.

"Bathroom, spare room," he continues at her amusement. She raises an eyebrow at the next room, walking in.

"Bedroom," he says and lingers at the door before following her in.

"Ah hah," she says, looking around. She nods in approval, turning and running into him.

"Hey," he smiles down at her.

"Hi," she whispers as he slides his hands up her arms. "How long 'til dinner?"

"Long enough," he growls, pulling her closer as he kisses her.

She runs her hands up his chest, locking them behind his neck.

"Oh," she gasps as he kisses down her neck.

He grabs the bottom of her dress, sliding it up and over her arms.

"Should we be doing this?" she asks, her clothes falling to the floor.

Casey stares at her before looping his thumbs in her underwear, causing her to shiver.

"No, but do you plan on stopping 'cause there's no way in hell I am," he growls, his lips pressing against hers as he leans her back onto the bed sliding her underwear down.

She laughs against his lips, her hands working fast to unbutton his shirt. His hands quickly replace hers as she moves to unbuckle his belt, bending her knees up to use her feet to help slide his jeans down.

"Flexible," he smirks, kicking off the rest of his clothes before joining her again.

"You have no idea," she grins causing him to chuckle against her throat.

He shifts above her, and she leans her head back biting her lip as he enters her.

"Okay?" he hisses next to her ear.

"Yeah," she nods, arching her back. "Oh yeah."

"Good," he growls, thrusting into her again.

"Son of a bitch," she groans, throwing her head back.

He watches her with amusement before capturing her lips, his tongue slipping in to wrestle with hers.

She grins up at him as they pull away; taking in some much needed air. She briefly makes eye contact when it hits her.

'You've got to be kidding me,' she thinks, the images of Casey flickering across her eyes.

"What's wrong?" he asks, noticing the changed expression on her face.

"Nothing," she lies and pulls him closer, her hips meeting his as she tries to push the images out of her mind. "Go faster."

Casey smiles against her neck, increasing his rhythm.

"John!" she screams, digging her nails into his back. She squeezes her eyes shut, trying to get rid of the images. He bites softly into her shoulder as they both come, collapsing on top of her.

She traces her fingers along his spine, steadying her breathing.

He pulls her out of her thoughts as he shifts, moving to lie next to her.

"You did good today," he says, kissing her shoulder. She smiles, rolling over to face him.

"You know, I think I might be freaking out less," she laughs.

"Well that's good," he says, pulling her closer.

"And who knows, maybe soon you could even be nice to Chuck?" she teases, sliding a hand up his chest. "Not this nice of course."

"Shut up," he laughs as he leans over, kissing her.

* * *

A/N: And there we have the start of Bela/Casey. Well, the more fun part of their relationship anyway. Next we have Chuck vs. The Sizzling Shrimp, where Bela not only has to hide being one of the intersects, she now has to hide her 'relationship' with Casey. Also I'm not sure if I've mentioned this before (other than in this chapter) but Bela and Bryce dated at Stanford. This will be explained in the coming chapters but I just wanted to make sure it was known prior to that happening. And once again, please review! I really love your feedback, guys.


	5. Chuck vs The Sizzling Shrimp

A/N: This starts a little bit later into the episode, where Sarah and Chuck are on their "Evening with Morgan." So it's not immediately continued on from the last chapter, this is a different time. You'll see what I mean when you start reading.

And I'm not sure how clear it was last chapter, but Bela flashed on Casey in the middle of sex. Just wanted to get that cleared up before I go on. Hopefully my updates will become more frequently as I have ideas written down for most episodes now including the new ones but I'll see how I go. Keep leaving feedback guys, I really appreciate it.

* * *

"Thanks for the invite Ellie, but I'm a little busy right now," Bela gasps into the phone.

"I'll let Chuck know you won't be joining us. And Bela? You sound out of breath, are you okay?" Ellie asks, amusement in her voice.

"I'm great," she snorts. "Tell Chuck I'll call him later. Bye!"

"Finally," Casey growls as she hangs up, kissing his way up her bare back.

"If I hadn't of answered, she'd of come over," she laughs as he flips her onto her back. "And considering I'm not home, guess who she'd ask next?"

"Uh huh," he says, grabbing her wrists and pinning them above her head.

"So you should be thanking mmm," she moans as he silences her, taking her bottom lip between his teeth before he pulls away.

She moans as his lips slide down her neck, stopping just above her shoulder.

"Thank you," he chuckles, sucking on her skin. She breathes in suddenly, adjusting to the new sensation.

They both groan at the sound of his phone ringing, and he releases her arms before rolling off of her.

"What?" he growls into the phone. He grabs the notebook next to his bed, jotting a name down.

Bela reads it as he hands it to her, watching her reaction carefully.

"I'm home, bring him over," he says before hanging up.

"Chuck flashed on someone," he sighs, turning to her. "What did you see?"

"Mei-Ling Cho? She's Chinese intelligence, never set foot on US soil before," she says, handing him the notepad back.

"That's what Bartowski saw, too," he nods, watching her. She sighs, crawling out of bed.

"There goes our evening," she mutters, looking around the room. Jeans... check. Shoes and sock... wait, socks... check. Shirt... check. Underwear... underwear...

"Looking for something?" Casey asks. She looks up at him, smirking as he plays with the thin material between his hands.

"That's real helpful," she smiles, crawling back onto the bed. She reaches for them but he grabs her arm, spinning her around onto her back.

"I think I'll hold onto these," he grins, kissing her before getting up. She lies there for a moment before rolling over.

"Casey," she says, watching him dress. "Come on, I need those."

"You'll live," he chuckles, shoving them into his jeans pocket.

"Son of a bitch," she frowns as he leaves the room.

* * *

"Bela?" asks Chuck as she opens the door. She quickly looks down at herself, making sure she'd at least remembered to dress. "What are you doing here?"

"Uh, Casey called me over...? After you flashed," she explains, shaking her head.

"You look... flushed," he observes as Sarah walks past them into Casey's apartment.

Bela coughs nervously, shutting the door behind him before walking into the living room to join the agents.

"Another date?" Chuck asks, following her.

"I get lonely," she shrugs, avoiding eye contact with Casey.

Chuck stares at her curiously before leaning closer, pulling down the collar of her jacket.

"Ouch," he laughs, looking at the red 'love bite' on her neck.

"Bartowski," Casey growls, pushing him away while smirking at Bela. She glares at him, zipping up her collar.

"This the woman you saw tonight?" he asks, holding up a picture.

"Yeah..." Chuck says before Casey throws a bunch of files at him.

"Read through these; twice," he growls before turning to Bela. "Let us know if you flash on anything."

"Call the Director, tell them we've got a Priority Code Orange," he adds to Sarah.

"Guys, is there anyway this can wait until morning 'cause I kind of have a Priority Code Ellie and Morgan..." Chuck says, turning to Bela for support. "They're waiting for us, for dinner."

"China's top spy is in Los Angeles; we don't know why she's here or what she's planning to do. You two may be the only people who can figure that out, that's your priority," he growls. "Copy?"

"Copy," Chuck says, Bela nodding in agreement as she takes some of the folders from him. She moves to the couch before he quickly joins her.

"I'll call Beckman," Sarah says, walking into the other room.

Bela uncrosses her legs, resting the folders on her lap before crossing them. She sighs, shifting again.

"Stop moving," Chuck laughs, watching Bela. "What's with you tonight?"

"Just... trying... to get... comfortable," she growls, continuing to move. Casey watches her, amused.

"Well at least it's not just me that you enjoy watching squirm," Chuck says to Casey, noticing the other man's gaze.

Bela looks up, catching his eye. She opens her mouth to say something when Sarah joins them.

"I made the call," she says, breaking the silence. She notices the two men watching Bela after receiving no answer. "What...?"

Casey motions for her to stop talking, not taking his eyes off of Bela.

They continue to ignore her, Bela well aware of their gazes. She chews on her lip, trying to resist the urge to move.

Sarah shakes her head, walking into the next room.

"Shut up!" Bela growls at their laughter as she shifts again.

* * *

"Bela," Casey says, watching her fill in some paper work at the nerd herd desk.

"I am not talking to you," she says, turning away. He quickly looks around before joining her behind the desk.

"You're still annoyed over last night?" he asks, receiving no answer.

"Oh I love a challenge," he chuckles, sliding a hand around her waist. She stiffens, dropping the pen to the desk.

"Haa, okay!" she coughs as his hand slides up under her skirt.

"I see you found another pair," he grins, his hand sliding over her underwear.

"Hey," Chuck says, joining them at the front of the desk. "What are you guys doing?"

They stiffen, Casey quickly standing up straight.

"Uh, Casey was just about to tell me something about the mission," she smiles, resting her hands on the desk.

"I need to talk to you both," Casey says, motioning for them to follow him.

"So we went over the Department of Defence files on Mei-Ling again this morning, sorry no flashes," Chuck says.

"She's here for a reason, maybe you'll flash on something tonight," he says as they follow him.

"Tonight?" Bela asks confused.

"Yeah, we're running surveillance on her. We're gonna tail her, see if either of you flash on anyone she's talking to," he says. "Might tell us why she's here."

"My first stake out, okay," Chuck says, excited. Bela stares up at him agape. "Okay yeah what do I need to bring, sweater? Light jacket?"

"You just bring that computer in your heads, huh?" he says, nodding at the two of them.

"Okay you know what, we have a lot more to offer this team other than the intersect," Chuck says, Bela laughing to herself as she glances at Casey.

"For instance, what are we doing for tunes tonight? I can make a stake-out mix."

"John," Big Mike says, interrupting them. "Need all the green shirts in my office on the double."

"Hmm, have fun," Chuck says smugly. He glares at him, throwing the box he held right into Chuck's crotch.

"That's… really not fair," he winces, Bela patting him on the shoulder.

* * *

"Hey, we got a bogie at 6 o'clock here," Casey says, watching the man snooping around the car. Sarah leans back, both reaching for their guns as the man approaches the window.

"Excuse me, someone send in an order for sizzling shrimp?" the man asks, holding up a bag. "A mister Carmichael?  
"Yeah, that's me. That's me I'll take that," Chuck says.

"Oh," Bela mumbles, Chuck pushing her over onto Casey as he leans over to pay the man.

"Thank you very much, you go ahead and keep the change."

"Sorry," she smiles at him, leaning back. Casey just shakes his head, glaring at Chuck.

"What? For Morgan, I called it in," he explains.

"The idea of a stake-out is to remain inconspicuous you moron," Casey growls.

"Uh hello, that's why I used an alias," he says, Bela snorting at that.

"Glocks and a crotch rocket; my kinda gal," Casey smirks as they watch Mei-Ling; Bela quickly flicking him in the side of the neck. "Hey!"

"Sorry. Slipped," she says, smiling to herself before catching a clear view of the guns. "And those aren't glocks. They're Chinese Army issue pistols."

"She's not here on a spy mission," Chuck adds. "She's here to assassinate the guy in the wheelchair."

"You sure?" Casey asks.

"Yeah, I'm pretty sure I mean locked away in the brain here," he says, Bela nodding as Casey glances at her in the mirror. "I'm not bragging, the intersect's doing all the heavy lifting."

"We can't wait for the cops. By the time they get here Mei-Ling or Ben Lo Pan may be dead, or both," Sarah says.

"Mei-Ling could be a small part of a larger operation," Casey adds. "We need her alive if we wanna find out what she knows. We catch her; the Chinese spy has a lot we need to hear."

"Alright Bela, pull the car around front," Casey says as he and Sarah climb out.

"Then what do we do?" Chuck asks.

"Stay in the car," Sarah says as they leave.

"My four favorite words," he says as Bela climbs into the driver's seat.

"You okay?" Chuck asks. He'd moved into the passenger seat next to Bela, trying unsuccessfully to hold some shrimp with the chopsticks.

"I'm fine," she says, hands gripping the wheel.

"You know the car's not going anywhere. You don't have to be so tense," he smirks.

"Right, you're right," she nods, lessening her grip but keeping her hands resting on the top of the wheel.

"So what's been up with you? I feel like I haven't talked to you for days," he says, trying again to pick up a piece of shrimp.

"Nothing, I'm great," she says, watching him. "What about you? And Sarah?"

"Sarah," he sighs, glancing out the window. "I don't know. You know Carina said some things but I don't know."

"Sarah said not to trust what Carina said," she notes.

"I just wish I knew more about her, y'know? They know everything about us-"

"Nearly everything," Bela adds.

"Right, nearly everything; and we know nothing about them. We don't even know their real names," he sighs. She stares out the window, watching the building opposite them.

"And Casey, he's just a jerk," Chuck says, noting her silence. "Bela?"

"Yes, Casey. He's a … big, big jerk," she says, smiling to herself as she runs her hand over the love bite on her neck.

He leans over, putting his CD into the car stereo.

"Stake-outs are fun!" he grins, nodding his head to the music.

* * *

"Shh!" Bela hisses as she shuts off the radio.

"Hey!" he mumbles around a mouthful of shrimp.

"Hear that? Gunshots," she says, staring at him.

"Stay in the car?" he asks, panicking.

"You read my mind," she nods, gripping the wheel again. He flicks the radio back on, trying to dull out the sound of the gunshots.

"Hey, wheelchair guy," Chuck says, gesturing toward his window. She glances at him before they both climb out of the car, running over to him.

"Hey! Let us help you get out of here," she calls.

"Yes, help me, help me! A lady's trying to kill me," the man says, Chuck wheeling him along.

"My car, this way," he says, pointing to the limo.

"Yeah, alright," Bela says, glancing at Chuck.

"Here, here you go," Chuck says, two men coming to help him.

"Why is he tied up?" Bela asks, staring at two more men dragging a struggling bound man out to the car.

"Throw him in the trunk!" the man in the wheelchair says.

"The trunk?" Chuck asks, watching them. "That's not very nice... why would you...?"

"Chuck!" Bela yells as Mei-Ling runs out of the building, firing at the car. He pulls her down, both covering their heads.

"Where are they taking him?" she yells, aiming the guns at them.

"I don't know, I don't know!" Chuck yells, holding his hands up.

"Do you work for him?"

"What? No, we were just trying to help an old guy in a wheelchair," Bela says, holding her hands up as she stands.

"Who puts people in trunks," Chuck says from behind her.

"You idiots," she sighs, lowering her weapons. "That old man is Triad, Chinese Mafia. That was my brother he threw in the trunk."

"Your brother?" Bela asks, frowning. "You were trying to…"

"Rescue him. Until you got in the way," she growls.

"Federal agent, drop your gun!" Sarah yells as she and Casey run towards them.

"Nononono, stop!" Bela yells, turning back to see that Mei-Ling had already fled.

"Are you guys okay, are you hurt?" Sarah asks once they reach them. Casey grabs Bela's arm, turning her to face him.

"No," Chuck says, shaking his head.

"I'm fine," Bela says.

"What the hell just happened?" Casey asks, releasing her arm.

"She was just trying to rescue her brother," Bela says before turning to Chuck. "I guess we were wrong. We blew it."

* * *

"Morning," Casey says, startling Bela as she exits her house.

"Morning," she says slowly, pulling the door shut behind her.

"Just heard back from Washington," he says, walking with her to her gate. "They confirm Mei-Ling's story. Her brother Lee Cho's a mid-level bureaucrat from Beijing. He was kidnapped on a business trip in LA by local Triad's."

"Okay," she nods, stopping at the gate.

"The Chinese received a ransom call asking for the release of a Triad Captain in Beijing, and they refused," he continues, watching her. "Mei-Ling was here on her own. The Government never signed off an arrest warrant."

"What's the connection to the guy in the wheelchair?" she asks.

"Well the Feds have always suspected that he had Triad routes but they could never prove it."

"Okay, so what do we do now?"

"Nothing, we stay out of it," he says.

"What? Hold on a second, now I watched that guy get stuffed into a trunk and it's because Chuck and me got it wrong," she argues.

"We're not gonna start an international incident over someone not even the ChiComs care about," he says, opening the gate. "Let it go, huh?"

"Casey!" she yells, grabbing his arm. He stops, turning back to her. "Please. I screwed up and it's all my fault. Her brother's gonna die and it's all my fault!"

"No," he growls, leaning down to her. "It's _her_ fault. And Bartowski's too; he screwed up just as much as you did."

"Well thanks," she mutters, pushing past him.

"Bela!" he calls after her but she ignores him.

* * *

"Nerd Herd, Tiernan speaking," Bela says, answering the phone.

"I'm looking at you right now," the person on the other line says.

"Oh you're looking at me right now," she laughs, typing into the computer. "Who is this?"

"Let's just say you owe me for ruining my rescue operation."

"Oh... Mei-Ling," she says, turning to get Casey's attention. She raises her arm, clicking her fingers at him.

"Put your hand down! If you signal your friend it'll be the last thing you ever do."

Bela quickly puts her hand back by her side, looking around.

"Where are you?" she asks, focusing on a group of girls near the entrance.

"Not near the sorority girls."

"What exactly do you want?" she asks as she continues to look around the store.

"The Triad's put a clock on my brother's life; he dies in nine hours if I don't do something."

"Okay, look about that, I'm really, really sorry and if there's anything I can do to make up for it..." she says.

"Help me rescue him."

"Bela," Chuck nods, walking behind the desk. He sits in her vacated seat, typing some information into the computer.

"Your friend, he can help. Don't let him leave."

"Listen, listen to me I'm a Good Samaritan, I just helped the wrong guy. I help people run computers, not rescue operations," she explains, Chuck staring up at her.

"I tailed your friend and you, and your handlers. You have a team watching your every step which means you can help and you will. I'll be in touch soon."

She hangs up the phone, Chuck following her as she leaves the desk, stopping Casey.

"Want a hotdog?" she asks. He stares at her confused. "It's an emergency."

* * *

"So look we've been thinking a lot about last night," Bela says, gesturing at Chuck seated next to her. "And you guys were talking about how the spy could be valuable to us, so I was thinking: what if we could convince her to I don't know like give up some secret stuff..."

"You mean defect?" Sarah asks, Casey watching them while he eats a hotdog.

"Defect, yes! I mean people do that all the time right?" she asks, turning to Chuck for help.

"Yeah, like the Hunt for Red October, uh White Knights," Chuck adds, glancing at Casey's blank expression. "White Knights? Gregory Hines, Baryshnikov, dancing their way to freedom?"

"Well as long as you've done serious research on the subject," Casey says, turning to Bela. "You get her to defect, I'll help rescue her brother personally."

"Why are you bringing this up?" Sarah asks, frowning.

"Well she sort of just called me," Bela says, getting their attention.

"She called you?" Casey asks. "Where?"

"At the Buy More. I think she might have been in the store too 'cause she knew my every move," she says, the two agents quickly running out of the Wienerlicious.

"What-where?" Bela asks, staring after them before turning to Chuck. "Think I should have told them that, first?"

"Maybe," he nods as they follow them to the Buy More.

"Hey, I just need to talk to Morgan for a minute," he says, walking off as he sees Jeff heading towards them.

"Oh thanks," she sighs, noticing him.

"Bela, there's a delivery of hard drives in the storage cage you need to sign for," he says.

"Great, thank you Jeff," she says, watching him carefully before leaving.

"Oh hey!" she says, seeing the woman. "I think that's for me."

Mei-Ling turns, clearly showing a gun under the clipboard she held.

"Please tell me that's not real," Bela says slowly. "The gun, not the clipboard."

"Real enough?" she asks, throwing the clipboard down as she holds the gun against her stomach.

"Listen, listen we agreed to help if you would just defect," she says, holding her hands up.

"What?"

"It's really not that bad here. The Chinese food's pretty good, have you tried sizzling shrimp?" Bela asks as Casey and Sarah run in, guns drawn.

"Drop the gun, drop it!" Casey yells, Mei-Ling twisting Bela's arm behind her back while holding the gun to her head. "Let her go."

"Shoot me, I shoot her," she threatens.

"Hey hey, I have an idea, how about a new plan that involves less shooting," Bela says, pointing at Casey. "Casey, hey you agreed to help if she defected, right?"

"I would never!" Mei-Ling protests.

"Why, too much loyalty to your Government? The same one that left your brother for dead?" Casey asks.

"If I defect, I can never go back to China," she says. "I will never see my brother again."

"And if you don't, you'll lose him forever and you don't want that," Bela says, staring at her out of the corner of her eyes. "Guys, promise Mei-Ling that you'll help her brother if she defects; please!"

"Please?" she asks again after no response, staring at Casey.

"Promise," he says. "Now let her go."

"How do I know I can trust you?" Mei-Ling asks, still holding the gun to Bela's head.

"You don't have any other choice," Sarah says. Mei-Ling growls, pushing Bela to the ground as she lowers her weapon.

"Here you guys are-woah," Chuck says, walking in.

"He's with us," Sarah says and Mei-Ling lowers her weapon again as Casey helps Bela up.

"She needs some air," he says to Sarah, pulling her out the door with him. He stays quiet as he leads her to his car, opening the door for her. She sits automatically and he kneels beside her, resting his hand on her leg.

"You okay?" he asks before her hand slaps him across the face.

"Ouch," he growls, rubbing the mark.

"You had to provoke her like that? Damn it Casey, she had a gun to my head!" she yells.

"I wasn't provoking her," he argues, but she ignores him, laying her head back against the seat.

"Did she hurt you?" he asks, taking out his phone. She shakes her head, watching him.

"Yeah, I'm taking her home. We'll meet tonight to discuss the mission. Okay," he says, hanging up. He shuts her door, walking around and sliding into the seat next to her.

"What are you doing, I'm fine," she sighs, reaching for the door handle. She pauses, staring down at her hand.

"You're in shock," he explains, nodding at her shaking hand. "You're going home."

"Okay," she nods and he leans over her, pulling her seat belt on.

* * *

"Bela," Casey says, running his hand down her arm. She mumbles something incoherent, rolling over. "Bells."

She grips his arm, almost hitting him as she sits up.

"Casey?" she breathes.

"You were expecting someone else?" he asks, confused at her reaction.

"I'm just not... I don't like being called 'Bells'," she says, looking around. "Why am I...?"

"I wanted to keep an eye on you," he says, tilting her head back. "How are you feeling?"

"Better," she nods. "Thank you for uh, bringing me back here."

"You should go home and change; I want you at Chuck's tonight in case we need the two of you."

"Okay," she says, yawning. He watches as she reaches her arms above her head, stretching.

He growls, pulling her against him as he kisses her; his fingers resting on the back of her neck.

"Couldn't resist," he grins as they pull apart.

* * *

"Hey, what up sis?" Chuck asks as Ellie walks in the door.

"Oh good, did you remember to defrost the chicken?" she asks, smiling at Bela as she helps her with the grocery bags.

"You know that I did, and you know why? 'Cause it's mother's day and I am here for you," he says.

"The prodigal brother returns," she smiles, joining him in the kitchen. "So this'll be fun, hey? Just us three again, been a while."

"Too long," Bela smiles.

"But tonight is just about us, catching up-catching up, but the way with no distractions," he says as his phone rings. "And as soon as I answer this call I will turn it off, I swear."

Ellie sighs, glancing at Bela as she unpacks the groceries.

"What was that?" she asks as he hangs up.

"Nothing, nothing it's Casey, John Casey my co-worker," he explains, Bela turning to watch him. "He needs some help with uh, decorating tips."

"Colour swatches? I can help with that," she says.

"Nonononono, you don't want to-no that's very thoughtful of you, I really appreciate that but he's a guy's guy," Chuck explains. "He wants a man's opinion. He's a hunter, so he's really into hunting and he doesn't quite know which deer to mount on-"

"Ew," Ellie says, screwing her face up. "Well you have a couple of hours before dinner, and I need to focus on the kitchen anyway."

"You sure?" Chuck asks.

"Take Bela with you, your dad's house would have a lot of that stuff right?" she asks.

"Yes!" Bela nods, smiling. "It would-does, let's go Chuck."

"You know what? Why don't you guys take him some of my special guacamole, you know, as a housewarming gift," Ellie says.

"What-wow, thank you sis that's really thoughtful of you."

"Just make sure to keep it away from Sarah, though. This is definitely not good for a spastic colon," Ellie says.

"Her what?" Bela snorts, raising an eyebrow.

"Yes!" Chuck nods, pushing Bela towards the door as Ellie hands him the plate. "Okay, we'll be back by eight, I promise."

"Oh, my jacket," Bela says, stopping. "I'll be there in a minute."

Chuck nods, knocking on Casey's door.

"Hi, oh hey-"

"Where's Bela," he growls, looking over his shoulder. "I told you to keep an eye on her."

"I did-I am. She just went back in to get her jacket," he says, Casey pushing past him.

"Eight," Bela nods, pulling the door shut behind her and bumping into Casey. "Oh!"

"You alright?" he asks as he pushes her ahead, following her closely.

"Yeah... just getting my jacket," she says, raising an eyebrow at him. "Didn't Chuck tell you?"

"I'm not gonna believe him," he growls, shutting the door behind her. He walks ahead, joining Sarah and Mei-Ling.

"There are at least ten guards that we know of stationed at these points here, here, and here," he says, pointing to the map on the wall. Bela stands next to Chuck, watching them.

"Their security cameras are TKX50s, they're outdated but they're equipment for emode access," Sarah says, turning to Mei-Ling and Casey. "Either of you familiar with them?"

"We are," Chuck says, raising his hand. "Yeah, we used to sell them at the Buy More, did a bunch of installs a few years back; they're pretty easy to access."

"Good. Everyone helps," Mei-Ling says.

"I'm sorry, us?" Bela asks.

"Nonono look, as much as I wish I could help you-we could help you," he says, "I can't. I made plans with my sister, they are non-negotiable."

"Nice," Bela sighs, nodding her head at Mei-Ling. "Of course, we know that you wouldn't be in this mess if it wasn't for us."

"He wants to be with his sister and you obviously really want to be with your brother," she smiles.

"We're like one big wacky transatlantic family," Chuck adds. "We're in."

"Okay fine, but you don't leave the van under any circumstances," Sarah says to them.

"We just need to be home by eight, if that's at all possible," he says.

* * *

"Oh no," Chuck says, pulling the headpiece off as Bela climbs into the driver's seat of the van.

"Chuck," she says, turning his attention out the window as the agents are led outside.

"Bela, it's Casey; don't talk I can't hear you. Go home, repeat go home. Do not call the cops don't do anything, go home."

"Casey?" Bela asks as they look around, his voice coming through somewhere in the van. "Casey?"

"They're taking them to the Bamboo Dragon," Chuck says, Bela starting the van up.

"Okay," she says, glancing at him. "What are the rules for tailing?"

"Tail rules-thirty yards. Or was it thirty feet," he says. "I should have been taking notes."

"Oh, God," she groans, following them.

"Pull up, pull up!" Chuck says, watching the other van. Bela pulls over, glaring at him.

"Sorry," he says, noticing her look. She looks around before climbing out, Chuck following.

"They're locked in, there's no way we can get to them," Bela starts as they look through the back door of the restaurant.

"I have an idea," Chuck says, glancing at the two guys selling fireworks. He runs over to them, Bela staring at him before quickly following.

"What the hell are you doing?" she asks as he buys the backpack full of fireworks from them.

"Distraction," he says, moving back to the van. "Got a lighter?"

She rummages through her pockets, taking it out and lighting the stick he held up.

"Alright," he says, putting it back in the bag before tossing the whole lot into the van. "Come on!"

He grabs Bela's arm, pulling her over near the dumpsters as the fireworks begin to go off in the vehicle. They watch as the men from inside rush out, guns raised at the commotion.

"Let's go," she says, the two making their way in through the back entrance. They rush through the kitchen, Bela quickly pulling open the cold storage and avoiding Casey's fist.

"Sorry," he apologizes as she begins to untie his wrists, Chuck already helping Sarah with hers. Casey rests his hand on her shoulder briefly before helping Mei-Ling and her brother with their ties.

"Stay with her," he tells Lee, gesturing to Bela. He nods, joining her and Chuck as the others move to ambush the men coming inside.

"We're gonna hide," Chuck says, the three ducking under one of the benches.

"You're such a dork," Bela snorts as Chuck karate chops the air.

"Hey," he says as the wheelchair rolls past them. "That old man's getting away."

Bela sighs as the others make no sign of moving.

"Wait here," she sighs, following him. She stops him at the door, grabbing the handles of the chair and turning him around. "Forget it, Ben. It's China Town. You ever see that movie?"

"And you call me a dork!" Chuck hisses at her.

* * *

"Look, we're sorry guys I know you wanted us to go home but we just couldn't, y'know?" Bela says as the four stand on the helipad, Mei-Ling and Lee embracing.

"You've returned one of China's top spies," Casey says.

"And you helped save her brother," Sarah smiles. "So, good work guys."

"Well, we better get going," Chuck says as Mei-Ling joins them.

"Thank you, Bela, Chuck," she says.

"Oh, yeah... well... you're welcome," Chuck stutters, blushing.

"Before you go," Bela smiles, holding up a form. "Would you mind signing this?"

"What is it?" she asks.

"Oh, it just says that we were off sight fixing your computer and that you were satisfied with the level of customer service we provided," Chuck grins.

Sarah smiles as Casey rolls his eyes at the two.

* * *

"I'll be there in a minute," Bela smiles, watching Chuck enter his apartment before turning back to Casey.

"Are you coming over?" he asks, his eyes travelling down her form.

"Not tonight," she says, noticing his look. "Mother's Day."

"What?" he asks confused.

"We do this every year," she shrugs.

"It's not even Mother's Day," he says, knowing he'd said the wrong thing from the look in her eyes.

"Hey," Sarah says, interrupting the two.

"Hi," Bela says, turning to her. Casey watches her for a moment before sighing and heading to his apartment.

"So Mother's Day?" Sarah asks, Bela walking to Chuck's with her.

"Ahh," she says, pursing her lips as she knocks on the door. "I think I'll let Chuck explain that."

"Explain what?" he asks, smiling at the two.

"Mother's Day," Sarah smiles, Bela walking past her to join Ellie.

"Yes, Mother's Day that's right, you don't really know," he says, looking down momentarily. "Mother's Day is the anniversary of the day our mother left us."

"Our dad was here, but he was never really here. Bela's mom cut out on her, too. She's only ever had her dad, so we had her come to our Mother's Day dinners. She's family," he shrugs. "So now every year we celebrate the day we learned to take care of ourselves."

"And rely on each other," Ellie grins, setting food down on the table as Morgan hands out drinks.

"Um, I think we're gonna need some more champagne," Chuck says, Sarah grinning as everyone takes a sip.

* * *

A/N: This chapter took a little longer than expected because I got stuck half way though and then got distracted with making notes for new episodes and yeah, excuses. But here it is, and the next one should be coming in the next few weeks. It's almost done actually, so it may even be sooner than that.


	6. Chuck vs The Sandworm

A/N: So I'm trying to fit this in with the story but if not, here are the basics. Because Bela and Chuck are the intersects and important and blah di blah, Casey's pretty much stopped Bela's after hour activities of getting drunk and sleeping with random men. It's just not a very intersect-y thing to do, plus you know, it was making him jealous. And with that said, here's the next chapter which to be honest was meant to be out a lot sooner than now, but things happen and people get busy, but here we are. Shiny new chapter!

* * *

"Hey guys," Chuck says, walking into the apartment. He looks up at Ellie on the foot stool, Bela handing her fake cobwebs.

"Hey," Bela nods.

"We're getting ready for our annual Halloween party," she grins. "What time are you guys getting here?"

"I'm working late that night, but I'll definitely be here," Bela smiles, hanging more cobwebs.

"And you know what; I might be late, too. They finally scheduled that promotional interview thing for that afternoon," Chuck says.

"Well we can just make it an assistant manager party then, too," Ellie teases.

"Sure, if you feel like jinxing it," he smirks.

"You're just finally growing up, aren't you," she smiles. "Do you think that this year would be a good time for you and Morgan to have separate costumes?"

"Excuse me, what's wrong with my costume?"

"Um, I'm sorry but that whole two-man cucumber thing is kind of creepy."

"First of all, it's a sandworm okay Shai-Hulud to be specific, and second of all Dune fans have been going nuts over our costume since the 8th grade," he argues, glancing up as Bela snorts.

"Chuckster," Devon says from behind him. "Guess what I am?"

"You're naked," he guesses, glancing at his costume.

"I'm Adam. You know, like Adam and Eve, Adam," he says. "Wait 'til you see my snake."

"I don't wa- I don't want to see your snake," he stutters, staring at Bela as a distraction. She shakes her head at him, biting her lip to avoid laughing.

"Devon, Chuck here has an interview on Wednesday," Ellie says.

"That is... outstanding," he congratulates as Chuck's phone rings.

"I gotta, excuse me- hello!" he says, walking away.

"I'm gonna head in for my shift now," Bela says, grabbing Chuck's keys from the table along with her bag.

"Thanks for your help," Ellie grins, waving to both her and Chuck as they leave.

"Morgan's gone AWOL," Chuck sighs as they reach the car.

"You're kidding."

"That was Big Mike on the phone, he's not at work," he says as she starts the car, taking out his phone and trying to call him.

"Not answering, either."

"Well where would he be?" she asks, glancing at Chuck.

"I have an idea, take the next left."

* * *

"Hey, hey Morgan buddy where you been, we've been trying to call you," Chuck says as they find him in Playland Arcade.

"I picked up the sandworm costume from the drycleaners, the ranch dressing from last year totally came out, so we're all good," he explains. "You ready to win another Buy More costume contest?"

"No, no, no 'cause you're supposed to be at work buddy."

"But I got ten big ones riding on this quote unquote video game," he says, gesturing for someone to join him. "This guy's been handing me my ass all week. Time to return the favour."

They both start the game as Bela and Chuck stare at the other man, their eyes trying to focus on the images as they flash on him.

"Uh, Morgan," Bela tries, still staring at the man identified as Lazslo. "Morgan, this guy is dangerous."

"Well Morgan's dangerous, Bela, Morgan's dangerous," he says, Lazslo staring at her before glancing at Chuck.

"Oh, what a baby," Morgan says as he leaves the game. "What a loser."

Chuck and Bela try to follow him back behind the game, losing him amongst the crowd.

"Where'd he, ah!" Chuck shouts as Lazslo grabs their shoulders, spinning them around to face him.

"How'd you find me, how did you find me?" he yells. "Who else knows I'm here? Who do you work for?"

"No one, no one, let us go," Chuck says.

"Look we don't know what you're talking about," Bela adds.

"I know you're spies!" he growls, grabbing their wrists to show the watches. "I designed those for the CIA."

"Look, my girlfriend gave me this, I don't know what you're talking about," Chuck says.

"And you?" he asks, still holding onto Bela. She stares at him wide eyed, not knowing what to say.

"I stole it!" she lies.

"Are there other agents waiting for me outside?" he asks, releasing her. "Are there other agents waiting for me outside?"

"Ah hah, you're not sneaking away from me," Morgan laughs, pointing at Lazslo before he takes off. "Woah, woah, you still owe me ten bucks."

Morgan runs after him as Chuck and Bela stand in place, taking in what just happened.

"Morgan, Morgan!" they yell, quickly following him.

"Yo, hey you still owe me ten dollars!" he yells as they reach him outside.

* * *

"Go in the window, Sarah's waiting I'll be right there," Chuck says, Bela tossing him the car keys.

She nods, sliding open the window before coming face to face with a gun.

"Damn it, Bela," Sarah sighs, putting away the weapon before helping the other woman through the window.

"Just so you know, that's the last thing I needed after today," she growls, sitting on the sill.

"Sorry," she apologizes as Chuck rushes in.

"Who is this Lazslo character, he just I.D.'d us as agents," he says.

"Relax, we're looking into him," she smiles. "And you did the right thing."

"We didn't do anything; we just flashed on the guy!" Bela explains.

"You followed protocol and I'm going to check in with you both in the morning," Sarah says, moving to the door.

"Wait, wait hold on," Chuck says, stopping her.

"What?" she asks as he glances at Bela before turning back to her.

"Look if it's cool with you could you hang out for a little while?" he asks. "Look Awesome and Ellie think that I'm kind of getting lucky in here, and I wouldn't want to disappoint... them."

"Oh, um... how long do you want me to stay?" she asks.

"42 minutes and 15 seconds," he blurts out, Bela laughing to herself as she climbs out the window. He glares at her before pulling the curtains shut.

"Arcade Fire's first album, it's like an auditory aphrodisiac," he explains, noting her blank look. "You're not really ready for it yet."

He turns his iPod player on, the two sitting on his bed.

"Why were you waiting for me in my room, anyway?" he asks after a moment's silence.

"Well I wanted to surprise you," she says, reaching for a photo on his night stand.

"It's uh, it's us at Comic Con," she explains, handing it to him. "What do you think?"

"It's-it's great, but we've never actually been to Comic Con, have we?" he asks, confused. "Wow, we actually look like a real couple."

"We are a real couple; we're just a different sort of a couple."

"That we are," he says, staring at the photo of them.

* * *

"Morgan, where's Chuck?" Bela asks, noticing Casey's eyes searching the store for them.

"Break room," he says, staring up at her.

"Thanks," she says slowly, cursing as Casey makes his way over to her.

"Bela," he nods, following her.

"Casey, I'm busy right now," she says, quickening her pace.

"Hey!" he yells, grabbing her arm and pulling her down the hall. "I need to talk to you, now!"

He pushes her into the break room, slamming the door shut.

"And you!" he says, glaring at Chuck as well.

"What'd I do?" he asks.

"What do I have to do to get time on the Intel out of you two," he growls.

"Look, we briefed Sarah last night," she says, frowning at him.

"You both did?" he smirks. "How cosy."

"I thought we were all supposed to be part of the same team, here," Chuck argues.

"We are, but I'm starting to feel like the guy that always gets picked last," he hisses, circling the two. "I don't like feeling like the team's little fat kid."

"Okay you know what, the next time we have a flash we'll come straight to you Casey," Bela says.

"What'd you tell Lazslo?"

"Nothing," she sighs. "He asked us about our watches; Chuck said his girlfriend gave it to him."

"So you compromised yourself and Agent Walker, bang up job Chuck," he growls.

They both stare at him, Chuck heading to the door.

"You coming?" he asks Bela. She goes to follow before pausing.

"Uh, I'm gonna grab a drink," she says, waving as he leaves.

"You're pissy today," she says before shivering as he moves to stand behind her.

"You couldn't have briefed me last night after leaving Chuck's?" he growls in her ear.

"I just needed to be home," she sighs before he spins her around, kissing her forcefully.

"You haven't been over in a while," he says, pulling away.

"I was annoyed with you," she says, noting his confused look. "About Mother's Day."

"Oh," he says.

"Oh," she nods, moving past him.

"Sorry," he coughs from behind her, and she turns to face him, smiling.

"Thank you," she says, leaning up and kissing him before going back out on the floor. She watches Chuck help an older woman with her phone before being interrupted.

"Excuse me," says a young man, looking in his teens.

"Yes, can I help you?" she asks, frowning as he kneels by her feet.

"These mp3 players... I'm not sure which one is best," he says, throwing a look over his shoulder as she crouches next to him.

"I'm not actually a salesperson, I should really get a green shirt to help you," she says before being tapped on the thigh by a pair of chucks.

"Look behind you," Chuck says, nodding to the screen. She looks at him confused before turning her head, eyes widening.

"Son of a bitch!" she hisses, standing up immediately and marching over to Morgan.

"I can't believe you," Chuck says, taking the camera from him.

"You need to stop doing this!" she hisses, slapping him across the back of the head to make her point.

"Oh come on, I was this close to closing a sale," he argues.

"No, you are this close to getting fired for sexual harassment," she warns, glaring at him.

"What happened guys, you used to be cool," Morgan says, shaking his head at them.

"We-we used to be cool, when was that Morgan when we were thirteen? Before you even met her?" Chuck asks. "Well I'm sorry to go changing on you buddy but we are now chronologically speaking adults. So unless you want to work retail for the rest of your life and by the way drag us down with you in the process I would suggest you grow up!"

"Morgan," Bela starts before he walks off. She turns to Chuck in disbelief.

"Heavy is the head that wears the crown," Lester says, stopping the two. "Couldn't help but notice how you handled that Morgan situation, that was most impressive, Chuck."

"That's great, that's great," Chuck says, walking past them.

"It gave me goose bumps," Jeff says, leaning next to Bela.

"That's super, Jeff," she says, quickly leaving with Chuck.

"So Morgan is pissed at you, just so you know," Bela says as Chuck and her walk to the parking lot.

"Really?" he asks, frowning. "Huh."

"Huh?" she laughs before they're stopped by some guy in a clown mask.

"Oh uh, nice try buddy but Halloween's tomorrow okay?" Chuck says before the man pulls a gun on them. "Or today, today it could be today if you wanted."

"Lazslo?" Bela asks as he pulls off the mask.

"I didn't kill anybody," he says.

"Look, we never said you did," says Bela, gripping Chuck's arm.

"Then why am I on the FBI list?" he growls.

"We don't know, just calm down," Chuck says.

"I was framed, okay!" he yells. "You have to believe me I am not a murderer!"

"Okay, okay, we believe you," Chuck says, Bela nodding. "But FYI, you're kind of acting like a murderer."

"You told the undercover agent about me, didn't you?" he growls, pointing the gun at Bela. "He's talking to pentagon operations right now. I tapped into the encrypted video feed at the store; I helped design that home video system."

"I don't know why you think-" Bela starts before a horn goes off, distracting Lazslo. She grabs the gun, struggling with it until he pushes her down onto the hood of a Nerd Herd car, Chuck staring in disbelief as he holds the gun above her head.

"Is that a water gun?" she asks, blinking as the drops fall on her face.

"No," Lazslo says.

"I'm pretty sure it's dripping on my face," she says, staring up at him.

"Hey, hey are you alright?" Chuck asks as he releases her.

"I'm sorry," he says, watching the two. "Name's Lazslo and I need help."

"Yeah, you do," Bela frowns. "What the hell are we supposed to do?"

"You're on the inside, you have access," he explains. "Look unless you help me clear my name, they're gonna keep chasing me."

They look at each other before turning back to Lazslo.

"You're my only hope," he says. "But first, I could really use some pancakes."

* * *

"What else did you make for the CIA?" Chuck asks, the three sitting down eating pancakes.

"Well whatever the jobs called for, really," he explains. "I mean if an agent wanted thermal vision ray bands or he wanted a parachute disguised as a backpack I'm the guy to call."

"You're like a real life Q," Chuck grins, Bela rolling her eyes at him.

"You know?" he asks, Lazslo looking at him confused. "You know, Q? The guy who used to make all the gadgets for Bond, Q?"  
"Bond was that spy guy, right?" he asks, Bela laughing into her drink.

"What, have they been keeping you in an underground cave?" he asks.

"Underground lab, actually," he nods. "For the last ten years."

"Nice going," she hisses, whacking Chuck on the arm.

"All I did was work in that lab, pretty much," he explains. "Well and play video games, but um no friends, no family."

"No Bond. No wonder you blew up all of your research and busted out of there, that's just inhumane," Chuck says, frowning.

"So what kind of work do you guys do?" Lazslo asks.

"You know it's kind of complicated," Bela says.

"Right but you gotta be some kind of geniuses, or prodigies?" he asks, staring at them. "I mean the Feds don't bother recruiting people, guarding them with undercover agents unless you're super good at... something."

"What are you super good at?" he asks again when they don't reply.

"Let's just say we're... computer guys," Chuck says.

"This is great," he says. "I mean just being able to sit in a coffee shop, and talk to people who know what it's like working for the company. You know if I had to do it over again, I never would have gone to that pier."

"What pier?" Bela asks, leaning forward.

"I was eleven and some agent saw me playing Tetris at an arcade, so he asked me if I could take all these tests and the next thing I know he's offering to pay my way though school," he explains. "My parents they don't know what to do with a kid whose IQ is higher than both theirs combined, they signed me over. And that's when I became property of the United States Government."

"Sweet story, huh?" he asks as the waitress leaves them the cheque. "I'm a- I'm a little strapped... you know how government work pays."

"Dude, yeah no no no no that's fine," Chuck says both him and Bela leaving money on the table. "Don't worry about it."

"Here," Lazslo says, handing Bela the napkin he'd been drawing on. "Here's an IOU."

"Thanks," she smiles, taking it.

"Listen, you can't tell your handlers you ever saw me," he says.

"What, why? They can help you, Lazslo," Chuck says. "They're the good guys."

"There's no such thing in this business," he laughs. "I mean you don't believe me, go home and search your rooms. See what kind of bugs your good guy handlers planted on you both."

"From now on, you should trust your handlers precisely as much as they trust you," he adds, watching them glance at each other.

* * *

"Hey," Bela says as Chuck rushes outside of his apartment.

"Find yours?" he asks, staring at her hands.

"They were everywhere," she nods, showing him the bugs. "You?"

"Everywhere," he sighs, walking past her.

"Where are you going?" she asks, hesitating as he knocks on Casey's door.

"To get some answers," he growls.

"What the hell are these?" Chuck asks, storming into his apartment as the door opens. Bela glances at his attire before following, shoving the bugs into his hands as she walks past.

"Seems you both already know," he says, closing the door.

"I can't believe you've been prying into my most intimate moment-you know what I swear to God if I find out you've been spying on my sister, I will kill you Casey," he threatens.

"Intimate moments, not really an issue thus far," Casey says. "At least not in the sense of traditional two person intimacy."

"Ha ha ha," Chuck laughs sarcastically.

"You, on the other hand," Casey says, turning to Bela.

"Intimate moments?" she asks slowly.

"You're a real screamer," he beams at her as she blushes.

"That's private!" Chuck yells, staring at him. "We-we're violated!"

"You feel violated, no no my ears feel violated," Casey says, turning to Bela again. "Not by you of course, sweetheart."

"Stop, stop that," he says, pulling Bela behind him.

"No I have to listen to you and that moron Morgan yammering on for four hours about what sandwich you're gonna take if you're stranded on a deserted island."

"What are you nuts, nobody was talking about sandwiches for four hours," Chuck says as Casey moves to switch on some equipment.

"Wow," Bela nods, listening to the recording of Chuck and Morgan. "I'm so sorry I missed that."

"Trust me, you were doing something much more interesting," he says, reaching for the equipment again.

"What the hell, you recorded that?" she yells, Chuck blushing as her moans play through the speakers. "Turn it off!"

"You're a giant douche for spying on us like that," Chuck says once it stops.

"Well if it's any comfort, we planted those bugs to protect you," Casey says before staring at them confused. "How did you find the surveillance, anyway?"

"Oh a little birdy named Lazslo told us," he says.

"What? You contacted Lazslo and didn't tell me?"

"I'm sorry, Casey did we violate your trust?" Bela asks, glaring at him.

"Look we think he's innocent okay? You haven't talked to him, you don't know," Chuck says.

"No, you don't know! You have no idea how dangerous he is, that's why you need to stay away from him," Casey growls.

Chuck just shakes his head, walking out of the apartment.

"Bela," Casey starts, walking towards her.

"No... no Casey, not tonight, not after this," she whispers, pulling the door shut behind her.

"Bela, hey, Bela!" Chuck whispers as she walks past his window. She leans in, eyes widening immediately.

"Lazslo?" she asks.

"Hi," he says, waving.

"I'm taking him to the Buy More, are you coming?" he asks, the two climbing out the window.

"Sure," she nods, following them.

* * *

"This is great," Lazslo says as he sets more snacks down on the table.

"Don't ask me why we have these, but here," Bela says, walking into the theatre room with an armful of sheets.

"Thanks, guys. This-this is amazing," he grins. "Look I'll be out before you guys open, and if everything works out you will never see me again. Thank you, both for everything. I really appreciate it."

"Yeah, definitely. Good luck disappearing Lazslo," Chuck laughs, shaking his hand.

"Oh, and I hope you don't mind I kind of helped myself to the whole Bond oeuvre," he says handing him the dvd.

"Ahh, check you out," Bela says, looking over his shoulder. "A View to a Kill, that's a bold choice."

"Why, is it a good one?" he asks.

"Oh dude, Christopher Walkin playing some evil Nazi villain, and Grace Jones as some roid rage sex assassin?" he explains. "I think actually on second thoughts I'm gonna stay for the beginning, Bela?"

"Sure," she smiles, sitting between the two. Lazslo puts on the movie as Chuck's phone rings.

"Who is it?" he asks.

"Uh, my handler, Sarah," Chuck says, glancing at Bela.

"Chuck, you gotta turn it off. Please, Chuck she could be tracking us," Lazlso pleads. "You don't understand, if you turn me in to your handlers it's like signing my death warrant."

Chuck nods, switching his phone off as Bela takes hers out, doing the same.

"Give me your watches," he says.

"Why?" she asks.

"I need to disable the transponder," he says, taking them.

"Disable the transponder?" Chuck asks. "How would you do that?"

"Like that," Bela says, both watching as he stamps on the watches before handing them back.

"You were right about the bugs by the way," Chuck says as Lazslo sits next to Bela. "God knows what they put in my car."

"I got a pretty good idea," he says. "I broke into them earlier, disabled the GPS system."

"How did you?" Bela starts before nodding. "You designed our cars."

"Just think, right now there is no one in the entire world who knows where we are."

Bela and Chuck share a worried glance before turning back to the movie.

* * *

"Damn it," Chuck says, listening to the messages on his phone as he glances at the theatre room.

"I've never really... kissed a girl," Lazslo says quietly, glancing up at Bela. She smiles uncomfortably, turning back to the movie. He watches her before sliding his hand against her cheek, tilting her head up to face him.

"Lazslo," she says, hesitating.

"You could be my first," he whispers, pulling her against him.

"Lazslo, stop it," she says, struggling against him. "Stop it!"

"Fine!" he yells, striking her across the face. He frowns as he watches her head flop back onto his shoulder.

He kisses her before lifting her up in his arms, making his way to the parking lot.

"Okay, alright," Chuck whispers, listening to the message from Sarah. He hopes Bela received the same one before running out of the Buy More, heading straight to his car.

"Where are we headed?" Lazslo as Chuck climbs in, quickly looking in the back. "I thought I told you to turn your phone off."

"Where's Bela?" he yells. "Where is she?"

"Don't worry about her, Chuck," he says. "I took care of her."

"What did you do?" he growls, the two cars pulling up in front of them.

"Hey, hey Casey!" Sarah yells, lowering her weapon as she kneels in the bushes, lifting Bela up. He growls, cocking his gun as he steps closer to the car.

"You threw her in the bushes, you sick-" Chuck starts.

"Relax, she's not dead," he shrugs, locking the doors to the car before hitting some buttons. Chuck watches as a new steering device comes up through the dash board.

"She okay?" Casey asks as they climb into the car.

"She's unconscious," Sarah says from the back, gently slapping Bela's face.

"Well then don't hit her," he growls, following the other vehicle.

"Just focus on your driving," she snaps, slapping her again. "Oh, hey, hi!"

"Sarah?" she asks groggily, reaching out to steady herself as Casey quickly swerves.

"Welcome back," he says, glancing at her in the mirror.

She nods, sitting up as Sarah checks the bruise forming on her cheek.

"What happened? Why aren't you with Chuck?" she asks, watching her.

"Lazslo must have knocked me out, when I wouldn't kiss him," she explains.

"He kissed you?" Casey asks, before stopping the car. "Woah."

The two women lean forward, watching as Chuck's ejected from the car and skids down the street.

"Is that-was that? Oh, God," Bela groans before focusing on the man next to Casey. "Who are you?"

* * *

"Tang may just be enough to make me quit," Bela says, joining Chuck at the Nerd Herd desk.

"You won't quit," he smirks, watching as she scans her card before kneeling on the floor momentarily. "Cause then you'd have to get a real job."

"Ha ha," she says before glancing at the napkin in her hands. "Oh."

"Oh?" he asks as she hands it to him, watching his reaction. "Oh."

"Casey, look Lazslo is not headed east he's going to Santa Monica pier," she says into her phone as they make their way to the exit.

"Yeah, you don't say," he growls. "We just found the GPS in downtown; Lazslo ripped it out and stuck it under a big rig."

"What type of big-never mind, Lazslo was casing the arcade it's where he was first recruited," she explains. "There's a huge Halloween party there every year I think he's gonna blow it up."

"Where do you think you're going?" Big Mike yells as she hangs up, both her and Chuck turning.

"Uh, it's you-uh hey, hey Big Mike can I uh borrow another Herder?" he asks.

"All the Herders are out, you've got an interview this afternoon or did you forget?" Mike growls.

"No, I just- something came up."

"Is that something more important than being Assistant Manager? Is it more important than handing over your promotion to Tang?" he asks. "Please, Chuck is it more important than Big Mike's relaxation?"

"Look Big Mike there are just some things in life that are more important than the Buy More," he says before grabbing Bela's arm as they rush out to the parking lot.

"You're upsetting a lot of people, lately," she says as he looks around, pulling her along as something catches his eye. "Oh, no-no Chuck, no!"

"Just sit on the metal frame and hang on to me," he says, climbing on the bike.

"Chuck," she pleads before he pulls her onto it.

"Just hold on," he sighs, peddling.

* * *

"I will never forgive you for that," Bela cries as they climb off the bike, sprinting down the pier.

"You'll live," he smirks as they reach the abandoned Nerd Herder down on the sand.

"I meant to tell you earlier about your car's self destruct function," Lazslo says behind them as the stare at the explosive. "One of my more inspired designs."

"Lazslo, listen-" Bela starts.

"Relax, it's all yours," he says, throwing her the keys as he glances at her face. "Ouch."

"What did you just do?" Chuck asks.

"You just armed the bomb," he says, smirking at Bela. "It'd take me hours to get through the fingerprint recognition system."

"Why are you doing this?" she yells.

"Blowing stuff up? That's what bad guys do," he explains. "Besides, how else was I gonna punish them for what they did to me?"

Bela reaches into her pocket as her phone rings, answering it quickly.

"Yeah?"

"Hey, someone just armed the Herder to self destruct," Casey growls.

"Yeah, I know," Bela breathes into the phone. "It was me."

"Disarm the bomb right now!" Chuck yells as she hangs up.

"You disarm the bomb!"

"How?" he asks.

"Easy," Lazslo says, handing him some wire cutters. "Cut the wire."

"Which one?" Bela asks, frowning.

"Red one."

Chuck goes to cut it before hesitating.

"You gotta cut a wire, Chuck!" he yells.

"Would you stop, what if I cut both of them?"

"Oh like Sean Connery in Goldfinger?" Lazslo asks sarcastically. The two turn to look at him, confused.

"What did you just say?" Bela asks.

"Cut the wire," he growls.

"The other night you said you'd never seen Goldfinger, so how would you know what Bond does at the end of the movie?" she asks.

"Cut the wire, or we're dead."

"You lied to us, Lazslo," Chuck says. "You knew we'd believe you when you said you just wanted to live a normal, peaceful life. And you know I'd believe you about cutting the wire, but you're wrong about that."

"Chuck!" Sarah yells as Casey and her join them, weapons drawn.

"Wait, wait stay back!" Bela yells.

"Cut the wire, Chuck!" Lazslo screams at him.

Chuck leans down and cuts the green wire, the bomb immediately disarming.

"Oh..." Bela breathes, resting her arm on his as Casey arrests Lazslo.

* * *

"Bela," Casey sighs, opening the door. "Thank God, they're at it again."

She frowns, following him in after locking the door behind her.

"Who's at what again?" she asks confused.

"Your best friend's," he growls, switching off the surveillance equipment.

"You planted more bugs," she says, shaking her head. "Unbelievable."

"You both need to be monitored at all times, you have valuable information stored in your head," he explains, glancing at the overcoat she was clutching around her. "Why are you wearing that?"

She smirks, moving to stand in front of his chair. She reaches for the tie before pausing, leaning across and setting the photo he had of Reagan face down on the table.

"This better be good," he growls as she lets the coat slide to the floor, bunching around her ankles. He swallows hard as his eyes travel up her body, nodding appreciatively at the skin tight white dress that clung to her and the garters holding up the stockings.

"That," he rasps before coughing. "That is worth it."

"Happy Halloween," she laughs. She yelps as he pulls her onto his lap, kissing up her jaw before she winces. He frowns at the bruise on her cheek, marring her skin.

"Sloppy hit," he says, tilting her head to the side.

"I'll live," she whispers, leaning down and kissing him.

He slides his hands up her thighs, resting them on her butt.

"Wait," she says, reaching down to unclip the garters.

"Keep 'em on," he growls, pulling her back up as she grins.

* * *

A/N: And that's that. Next chapter Casey and Bela get busted. We'll also see how Chuck and Bela first met, and learn more about Bryce and Bela's college relationship. Please review!


	7. Chuck vs The Alma Mater

A/N: Uhh so Bela and Casey get caught out in this chapter, pretty much from the get go. So... enjoy. And I'll be trying to write more Chuck/Sarah as well, but they're not the main focus of the story so I'll see how it turns out. I also said that I'll write how Chuck and Bela first met, but I'm saving that for a later chapter, so bear with me. Oh! And please review.

* * *

"Ouch," Bela mumbles, sleepily stumbling through the apartment towards the knocking coming from the door.

"Sarah?" she asks groggily. "What-"

"Bela?" Sarah asks glancing down at the oversized shirt she was wearing.

"Oh, crap," she groans, realizing where she was.

"What are you...?" she asks slowly.

"Oh crap, oh crap," she mutters, looking around. "It's not... what you think..."

"Bela, where's Casey?" she asks, walking in.

"Um... um," she says, wide eyed.

"Bela..." Sarah says, closing the door. "Come on, where is he?"

"He's in bed," she sighs, running a hand through her hair.

"Thank you," she nods before leaving the room.

Sarah enters the bedroom slowly, walking around the clothes left on the floor. Casey was asleep in the middle of the bed, the sheet only just covering him; something Sarah was very thankful for.

"Casey, get up," Sarah says, kicking the end of the bed. He groans, rolling onto his stomach.

She watches as he sweeps his arm across the space next to him, growling.

"Bela," he mumbles, opening his eyes.

"Bela?" Sarah asks.

"Walker," he growls, pulling the sheets closer to him. "What the hell are you doing?"

"What the hell are _you_ doing? With the intersect?" she yells.

"I'm not-"

"Bela is in the kitchen," Sarah says, stopping at the door. "I think we all need to talk."

He growls, glaring at her as she pulls the door shut.

"Okay," she says, joining Bela in the kitchen. "We're going to have to talk about this."

"I have no underwear on," Bela blushes, staying behind the counter.

"I'm sorry, but I need to know what's going on," Sarah says. "This is not allowed and if Beckman or Graham found out-"

"They won't," Casey says, pulling a shirt on as he walks in. Bela stares at the two fully clothed agents, frowning at her bare legs.

"You didn't let her dress?" he growls. Bela stiffens as he walks behind her, pouring himself some coffee.

"I don't think you get to tell me about what I did and didn't do to her," Sarah says, making Bela look away embarrassed.

"Cute," he growls before turning to Bela and handing her a cup of coffee. "Go get dressed."

She looks at Sarah who nods, Casey watching her leave before turning back to his coffee.

"You care about her," she says, his jaw twitching.

"She's one of the intersects, we have to care," he growls. "You and Chuck-"

"No," she says, shaking her head. "This is different."

"It's just sex," he shrugs. "Are you going to report it?"

She watches him carefully, straightening up.

"No," she says. "Unless it begins to interfere with the missions."

"It won't," he growls as Bela walks out, placing her cup in the sink.

"I'm heading home, I need to change for work," she says, watching the two take in her outfit from last night. The coat was tied, but the stockings were bunched up in her hand.

"Halloween," Bela explains to Sarah, scratching her neck nervously.

"I'll drive you in today," she says, ignoring Casey's glare.

"Oh, okay. Give me a half hour?" Bela asks.

"Sure."

"What are you doing?" he asks once Bela's out the door.

"I want to make sure it's just sex for her as well," she says, leaving a moment later.

* * *

"Bela, what's up?" Sarah asks, glancing at her. They were half way to the Buy More, and Bela had attempted to say something numerous times before stopping herself.

She stares out the window, her fingers drumming against her knee.

"Bela?"

"I flashed on him," she says, frowning.

"On who, did you just see someone?" Sarah asks, pulling the car over. Bela grips the door, glaring at the other woman.

"No!" she yells.

"Then _what_?" Sarah asks, watching her.

"I flashed on Casey. The first time we slept together... just before I-we... I flashed on him," she says, not making eye contact with the other woman as she turns red.

"You flashed on him," Sarah nods, hiding her smile.

"Laugh it up, it could have been Chuck and you," Bela mumbles.

"Excuse me?"

"You know Chuck likes you, and not just for the cover," Bela says, shrugging.

"What Chuck and I have is a professional relationship," Sarah says, beginning to get flustered. "And we have a friendship, as I have with you but it goes no further than that. Unlike you and Casey-"

"Casey and I are just having sex," she shrugs, staring out the window. "It relieves... stress... tensions."

"Mhmm," Sarah nods, not completely believing her.

* * *

"Hey," Chuck says, meeting Bela at the front of the Buy More. "I'd stay away from Casey today, he looks pissed."

"He always looks like that," she frowns, walking past him into the break room.

"Well aren't we happy this morning," he says, following her. "Bad night?"

"Excellent night, bad morning," she mumbles, shaking her head as she turns to him.

"They don't look so nice in the morning, do they?" he teases.

"Like you would know, Bartowski," Casey says, joining the two. "Theatre room; now."

"A mission, or-or, um," Bela squeaks, clearing her throat as Chuck slowly turns to her.

"Mission," he growls before leaving.

"You're so weird," Chuck laughs, the two walking into the theatre room as Casey makes sure it's secure.

"Wow, that new High Def. Screen sure shows every wrinkle," Chuck notes, glancing at Beckman on the screen.

"They can hear you," Casey growls as the two sit on the couch, Bela hiding her amusement behind her hand.

"What-twinkle, every twinkle... in her eye-eyes!" Chuck stutters.

"We have a situation," she says, ignoring his comments. "A CIA asset has gone missing; we've had no communication from him for two days."

"Oh my God," Bela whispers as Chuck leans forward, staring at the image on the screen.

"What, did you flash?" Sarah asks.

"No, we don't have to," Bela says.

"That guy was our professor at Stanford," Chuck explains, the two agents glancing at each other. "Wait, asset he's CIA? Our professor was a spy?"

"The CIA recruits on campuses across the country," Sarah explains. "Professor Fleming is a company scientist, not an operative."

"This is our last communication from him," Graham says before playing the audio.

"Do we know what Intel he copied?" Sarah asks.

"We don't," Beckman sighs.

"He's handled many sensitive projects for us over the years, any leak could prove devastating," Graham adds.

"How can we help?" Casey asks.

"Fleming has contacts in LA; if we find him you can extract him."

"We'd like your help on this, Bela, Chuck," Beckman asks, the two glancing at one another.

"Look, I really don't think I can do this one," Chuck says.

"Your knowledge of Fleming and Stanford is key here, both of you," Graham says. "We only have his official report; you both have a personal connection."

"Yeah, I do have a personal connection, a very bad personal connection," Chuck says. "Look you guys have Bela, and you have the file okay you know all about Fleming and what happened to me, the guy kicked me out of school."

"Professor Fleming is one of us," Sarah tries. "And yes we do have Bela, but you don't want to let her do this on her own?"

"I can't do this, I'm sorry," Chuck says, standing up and leaving. Bela stares at her feet, frowning.

"Bela, you'll help us?"

She looks up at them, wide eyed.

"She'll be fine," Casey says, ending the communication link. "She's obviously more man than Bartowski."

"You would know," Sarah mumbles as she leaves the room.

"Ignore her," Casey growls, watching Bela rise from the couch.

"What?" she asks confused.

"You haven't been listening to a single-Bela," he sighs.

"I need some air," she whispers, brushing past him.

* * *

"Hey," Bela says, meeting Chuck as he brings out a box to the garbage. "I uh, missed you at work today. You were avoiding me..."

"Look, don't ask me to do this Bells, please," he says as he tosses the box into the bin, a piece of plastic falling to the ground.

"I wouldn't ask you to do that for me," she smiles, kneeling down to pick up his Stanford library ID card. "And stop calling me Bells, Chuckles."

"Funny," he smirks.

"Oh," she gasps, her head snapping up. "I-I-Chuck, I just flashed on you."

He grabs the card from her hand, staring at it as she gets to her feet.

"What the hell?" he whispers before turning and storming toward Casey's.

"Chuck-Chuck, wait!" Bela says, following.

"What?" Casey growls, holding his gun at his side as he swings the door open.

"I just flashed on myself," he says, holding up his card. "Why am I in the intersect?"

Casey sighs, letting the two in. He hands Bela the gun as he takes out his phone, dialing Sarah. Chuck stares at her, then down at the gun.

"What?" she asks.

"He gave you his gun!" he whispers. "What the hell?"

"Insane, drunk," she shrugs as Casey hangs up, taking the gun from her.

He moves to the computer, beginning to type as the door slams shut.

"What's going on?" Sarah asks as her eyes dart around the room.

"We flashed on Chuck's ID card," Bela explains, frowning.

"Nothing's coming up," Casey adds from behind the computer.

"So you don't know why I'm in the intersect?"

"Well you didn't appear on the NSA radar until after Bryce sent you the intersect."

"Same with the CIA," Sarah says.

"Why don't I find that reassuring," Chuck frowns.

"So the files that you saw were of you in college, right?" Sarah asks.

"Yes, yes, wait a minute what about Professor Fleming? I was in his class, he was CIA; could that be it?"

"Well if we could find Fleming, maybe he could give us some answers," Sarah hints, glancing at Bela.

"Okay," Chuck says. "Let's do that."

"What?" Bela asks, staring at him.

"It won't be easy," Sarah says.

"The intel suggests that the professor's being hunted, the NSA interviewed one witness in Fleming's class who identified a Magnus Inersonsen," Casey says, bringing images of the man up onto the screen. "He's an Icelandic spy."

"I'm sorry, Iceland does espionage?" Bela asks.

"Magnus buys and sells Intel to the highest bidder," Casey explains before smirking. "Iceland isn't 'officially' aware of his activities."

"It says here the crossbow is his weapon of choice," Sarah notes.

"Oh, what slingshot too ineffective?" Chuck mocks.

* * *

"What are you doing?" Casey asks, walking into the break room. Bela jumps slightly as she stares at the notice board.

"Avoiding Tang," she says, before pointing at the board. "And thinking that this is an awesome dog."

"No," he says, getting her attention.

"No?" she asks, staring up at him.

"You don't need-right now is not the time to get a-no," he growls.

"You're unbelievable," she says, glancing at his clothes. "What do you want, you're not working today?"

"We need you, Bartowski can explain to you on the way," he says as she sighs, reluctantly following him.

"Are we going to talk about this morning at all?" she asks. He glances down at her, frowning.

"It's been taken care of," he says.

"Okay, alright," she nods, before gesturing between the two. "So this is over."

He laughs, shaking his head at her.

"This is definitely not over," he answers, sliding his hand across her back before they reach Chuck.

* * *

"We'll extract the professor as quickly as possible," Sarah says from the front seat next to Chuck. "You'll keep watch?"

Bela leans next to Casey in the back seat, staring out at the house.

"If we flash on any bad guys we'll call," Chuck says.

"Everything looks quiet, but-"

"I know, I know," Chuck sighs. "Stay in the car."

"Good," Sarah says, climbing out. "Let's go."

Casey follows, Bela moving into the front seat next to Chuck.

"Excitement plus," Bela says, the two watching Sarah and Casey enter the house.

"At least it's safe in the car-wait," Chuck says, seeing the professor walking up the sidewalk next to the car. Bela exchanges looks with Chuck before the two jumps out of the car.

"Professor Fleming, wait!" they yell, following him as he drops his bags and runs.

"Professor, it's Bela and Chuck!" she yells, chasing him. "Professor stop, we're here to extract you; Black Castle!"

This stops him, and he slowly turns to face them.

"I'm sorry, we didn't mean to scare you," Chuck says. "But, but it's Chuck. And Bela."

"We were in your psychology and symbolism class at Stanford, I don't know if you remember us?" Bela adds.

"Chuck Bartowski and Bela Tiernan, of course I remember you," he smiles.

"I guess it's not every day you kick a guy out of school, huh," Chuck jokes. "Or at least I hope not."

"So you're with the agency, now?" he asks, looking at the two of them. "Why didn't you say so?"

"I don't think we're supposed to, really," Bela says, glancing at Chuck.

"We have code phrases," the Professor says. "Didn't they train you?"

"Uh, we mostly just stay in the car."

"Next time, if it's a dangerous situation say 'Are you coming to the toga party?'."

"A real code phrase, I like it that's awesome," Chuck grins.

"So uh, so what are we doing now, who's bringing me in?" he asks.

"So yeah, Sarah and Casey will do that," Bela starts before Chuck pulls her back slightly.

"But uh, I was wondering if I could ask you something first?" he asks. "Why did the CIA have a file on me at Stanford?"

"I'm sorry," the Professor shrugs before collapsing forward onto Chuck.

"Oh, hey, hey buddy," Chuck says, patting him on the back. "Let's not beat ourselves up, the past is the past."

"Chuck..." Bela says slowly, staring at the arrow in the professor's back.

"Give this to Bryce Larkin," Fleming gasps, clutching a piece of paper in his hand as Chuck falls back with him on top of him.

"Bryce Larkin?" Bela asks, kneeling next to them. "What does he have to do with this?"

She yelps as an arrow shoots through the piece of paper, right next to where she was. They both stare up as Magnus stalks over to them, crossbow in hand. He leans down next to Bela, grabbing the paper and arrow.

"We're no one, I swear," she whispers as he glances down at her name tag, turning to read Chuck's as well. He straightens back up and leaves them unharmed.

"Casey come on, over here!" Sarah yells before they move around into their line of sight.

"We need help!" Bela yells, the two joining them, guns drawn as Chuck struggles with Fleming's dead weight on top of him.

* * *

"You're okay?" Bela asks, watching Chuck from the window sill. He glances up at her, nodding.

"I'm, uh, I'm okay. You're okay?" he asks before she jumps as Casey and Sarah crack open the blinds. She pulls them open, glaring at the two as she moves to let them in.

"I'm sorry guys but we have to talk," Sarah apologises as she climbs into the room, Casey following.

"Okay, so how was the hospital?" Chuck asks, Casey sitting in the chair next to Bela on the sill. "Is the professor gonna be okay?"  
"They're putting him into surgery now," she nods.

"Problem is we can't talk to him, sort any of this out," Casey frowns. "You're sure it was Magnus you saw?"

"Gee, I don't know Casey, how many psycho archer's do you know?" Chuck snaps before Bela clears her throat.

"It was Magnus," she answers, nodding.

"I asked Fleming about Stanford, about why I was in the Intersect; I should have brought him right to you, I'm sorry," Chuck says.

"Hey, it's not your fault Chuck," Sarah says.

"Yeah, well I keep thinking about what he said," Chuck adds. "Why would he want us to bring those numbers to Bryce?"

Bela tenses at his name, Casey glancing at her briefly before turning back to the others.

"Bryce must have been one of his CIA contacts, and Fleming was probably never told of his death," Sarah explains.

"List off the numbers you remember," Casey says.

"I don't know there were like ten of them, a couple of nine's," Bela says.

"A five, definitely started with a two," Chuck adds.

"That's it?" Casey asks. "Between the two of you and a computer in your brain's that all you come up with?"

"Look, it was a very stressful situation, Casey!" Chuck yells. "We watched a guy get skewered by a crossbow."

"Look, Fleming knew something," Bela adds. "Right before he fell, he said 'I'm sorry', why would he say that?"

"I don't know," Sarah shrugs.

"Yeah well I think he might know why I'm in the intersect," Chuck says, staring at Bela.

* * *

"And you're okay?" Casey asks, rolling onto his back. Bela nods, moving to rest her head on his shoulder.

"I'm okay," she says before sighing. "Magnus nearly hit me with an arrow."

"You hadn't mentioned that," Casey growls, pulling her on top of him. She lies on his chest, resting her head on her arms as she stares down at him, frowning.

"Because he didn't hit me, and I'm okay," she shrugs, tensing at the knocking coming from the front door. "Were you expecting company?"

"No," he growls as she climbs off of him, the two quickly dressing. "Wait here."

He leaves her on the bed, moving out of the room and to the front door, swinging it open.

"I know what the numbers mean!" Chuck says, pushing his way in. Casey glares at him as he follows him into the next room.

"They're for a book in the Stanford library," Chuck continues. "Bryce had a place where he would stash stuff, right? I bet he told Fleming about it, the professor must have left the Intel there for Bryce to find."

"It's only a matter of time before Magnus figures it out, beats us to the book," Casey says.

"Bingo."

"Unless we can beat him to it," Casey thinks.

"Well, Bryce kept his stuff on the third floor, it was-there was a turn," Chuck begins before pausing, thinking some more. "I'd have to be there to remember. I can't believe I'm about to say this, but I have to go back to Stanford."

"Cool," Casey shrugs.

* * *

"Stanford," Bela grins as she walks with Casey onto the campus. "Just as I remember."

He rolls his eyes as she accepts a cup of something from someone, not even asking before taking a sip.

"Strong," she grimaces before he snatches it from her, tossing it in a nearby bin.

"No," he growls. "No drinking, we've been over this."

She glares at him, moving over to one of the stalls. He stares at her red summer dress for a moment before clearing his head and following her.

"So Stanford," he says. "You were in the same classes as Bartowski?"

"I though that was obvious," she says, glancing at him in disbelief. He sighs, scratching the back of his neck quickly.

"And you knew Bryce," he adds, ignoring the look of realization in her eyes.

"Ohh," she nods before turning to hide her blush. "Bryce and I were pretty close, yeah."

"How close?" he asks before they're interrupted.

"Plant a Stanford tree?" one of the students asks, holding up a plant and brochure. "It's a renewable resource for your children's future."

"Oh, you want to save our environment, huh?" Casey asks, staring down at him. Bela watches the two nervously as he snatches the paper from him, scrunching it up. "Take a shower, hippie!"

"I'm sorry," Bela apologizes after he throws the paper at the student. She quickly follows Casey, whacking him hard on the arm.

"Ouch," he complains as they join the others.

"Nice job blending in with the crowd, who're you routing for, Death?" Chuck asks, glancing at Casey's clothes.

"Leave the quips to me," he growls, looking around.

"Library's this way, across the quad," Bela says, stopping as Chuck pauses. "What is it?"

"I don't know, I figured this would be tough but this place..." he sighs. "It's just a lot to take in, you know? We used to have so much fun here and then..."

"And then?" Sarah asks, staring up at him.

"It was the worst day of my life, getting kicked out of here," he explains. "Having to hear Ellie's voice when I told her I was coming home, packing up all my stuff, and leaving as Bryce just stood there... he said I brought it on myself."

Bela bites her lip, turning away momentarily at the memory.

"Why do you think that Bryce would betray you?" Sarah asks, ignoring Casey as he rests a hand on Bela's back.

"I don't know," Chuck says. "He's had four years to call and set the records straight, and now that he's gone... you know what, forget it. Bryce has betrayed a lot of people, hasn't he?"

He glances at Bela before making his way to the building's entrance. Bela takes a deep breath before following.

"Oh, no no no no," Chuck says as he searches his pockets.

"Looking for this?" Casey asks, handing him his student library ID card.

"You stole my ID?" Chuck asks as Bela takes hers, glancing down at it confused.

"I borrowed it to reactivate it," he says before turning to her. "Yours was more difficult."

"Because it was at my dad's," she says slowly.

"This one is new, Photoshop," Casey explains as they all swipe their cards.

"Unbelievable," she says, shaking her head.

"There, there that row," Chuck says, pausing at all of the books on the ground.

"We're too late," Casey sighs. "Magnus beat us here, he's got the book."

"Hold on," Chuck says, staring at the shelf. "Hold on a second."

They all watch as he reaches above the books, sliding a disc out of the hidden compartment in the shelf.

"Gotcha," he smirks, holding it up.

"The Intel," Casey says.

"The book number was just a way to mark the spot for the professor," Bela says.

"Okay, well let's get out of here before Magnus realizes that book he has is worthless," Sarah says.

"Hey you don't move!" says the older man from the front desk. "Charles Bartowski? You still owe the library two hundred and ninety four dollars and sixty eight cents in late fees."

"Do you take credit cards?" Chuck asks.

"This isn't funny," he growls, storming back to his desk.

"Late fees," Bela snorts as Casey and Sarah stare behind them.

"Both of you, run!" Sarah says, pushing them out of the way. "Head for the back door!"

"I miss the car!" Bela hisses as she catches her shoulder on a corner, Chuck steadying her before they sprint down the stairs onto the grass.

"He's right behind us!" Chuck pants as he pulls a banner down in front of the man, stalling him momentarily.

"This way," Bela says, grabbing at him as she sees Devon and Ellie.

"Table," he says as he pushes her under it, following her closely. He reaches for her as an arm grabs hers, pulling her to her feet.

"There you are," Casey says, Sarah helping Chuck up.

"Hey you, freeze!" one of the men yells before Casey elbows him in the face.

"Alright, they've spotted us," Sarah says, looking around. "Okay, we have to go."

"I swear this school has it in for me," Chuck sighs.

"Come on," she says, grabbing his hand.

Casey glances down at Bela, quickly pressing his hand against her back as he nudges her forward.

The four run into the main building, Casey checking behind them before they turn a corner.

"Here," Sarah says, guiding them into an empty lecture theatre. They look out behind the door before shutting it again, both agents taking out their weapons.

"We're safe, for now," Sarah sighs, Chuck and Bela moving across to the front of the room.

"I need to see what's on this disc," he says.

"Hey, Chuck that's top secret!" Sarah growls, stalking over to him.

"Yeah, well so am I," he defends. "There could be answers on this disc on why I'm in the intersect."

Bela looks over from beside Casey as he guards the bottom doors.

"It's testing data," Sarah says, leaning next to Chuck as he clicks on a file.

"And video taped interviews, these are all just students," Chuck says.

"Exactly, students that were recruited into the CIA by Fleming, ten years worth," Sarah says as Casey and Bela join them. "It's all their current information."

"No wonder Magnus wanted it so badly, foreign governments would pay a fortune for that," Casey adds as Chuck scrolls through the list of names.

"Look at this, right next to 2002, Bryce Larkin," Chuck says, Bela moving closer to the screen.

"Bryce joined the CIA our junior year?" Bela asks, confused.

"That's enough, now we know what he's after," Casey says.

"No, no wait! That's me, that's me; I'm in here, too!" Chuck yells, seeing his name.

"Click it," Casey says as Sarah orders him to do the opposite.

"I never applied to be in the CIA," Chuck says as the top door swings open.

"Get down!" Sarah yells, Casey quickly pushing Bela behind the desk. She clutches Chuck's arm as gunshots surround them.

"Don't you think this would be a good time for us to be waiting in the car?" he asks as Sarah and Casey fire back.

"I have an idea, get us out of here!" he continues as Bela reaches up and takes the Intel from the computer.

"Guys, when I say go run out the side door," Sarah orders, glancing over at Casey. "Take the disc, we'll cover you."

Casey shoots one of the beakers to his left, causing an explosion of white smoke to rise.

"Go!" Sarah yells, and the two quickly crawl across the floor, clambering out the exit.

"In here," Chuck says, pulling her into another classroom. She quickly looks behind herself before climbing into one of the chairs, putting the Intel disc in the computer.

"Take your phone out," she says, clicking on the most recent list of recruits. "Call her; get her here to help _now_."

He nods, staring at her as he dials the number. She takes out her own phone, clicking on the next name.

"Crap, there's a code phrase," Bela says before turning to Chuck. "Are you coming to the toga party?"

They continue ringing until Bela throws her phone down, ejecting the disc.

"That's everyone," she sighs, jumping as Chuck's phone rings.

"Morgan, listen this is really, _really_ not a good time," he says into the phone, Bela growling in annoyance. "Okay buddy I get that, but I'm at Stanford, what do you want me to do about it?"

He grips the phone tighter, moving it away from his head before sighing and bringing it back to his ear.

"Okay, okay the code is OU812#," he says, Bela glancing up at him as he hangs up.

"Why does Morgan need the code to the master remote?" she asks. He shrugs, the two pausing as they hear someone behind them.

"Oh no," Chuck says, quickly pushing Bela to the ground and covering her. An arrow shoots past them, smashing the computer they were sitting at seconds before.

Magnus rounds the desks, stalking over as he aims the crossbow at them. They get to their knees as he leans towards them, taking the disc out of Bela's shaking hand.

"Please don't, please don't," she stutters, staring up at him wide eyed. He backs away slightly, his finger twitching against the trigger.

"Don't!" a voice says from behind him, the woman jumping and planting a solid kick into his chest. He moves to get up before she slams her arm into his face, knocking him out cold.

"You must be Chuck Bartowski," she says, staring down at the two. "I just got your message, you guys okay?"

"I'm just glad you check your voicemail," he says as he picks up the disc, the two getting to their feet.

* * *

"Hi," Bela says as Chuck walks into his bedroom. He jumps slightly, glancing at the beer in her hand.

"I thought you weren't allowed to drink," he smirks, watching her reaction. She scowls, taking another sip.

"I'm allowed to drink, just not like I used to," she sighs, nodding at his hand. "So we gonna watch this or what?"

He walks over to the computer, putting the disc in as she climbs off of the bed.

He scrolls through the list of names again before pausing, inhaling sharply.

"Bela," Chuck says slowly, staring at the screen. "You're on here, too."

"What?" she asks, leaning over him. "That can't be right."

Chuck glances at her before clicking the file.

"_Test subject 0325, Isabela Tiernan, this is her first interview,"_ Professor Fleming says on the screen.

"Bryce," she whispers as she watches him walk in the door. "I remember this day."

"_Bryce, you can't be here I'm waiting for another student."_

"_Isabela Tiernan," he nods. "She never got your message."_

"_What are you talking about?"_

"_You put her on the CIA recruitment track."_

"_It's not up to me, Bryce,"_ _the Professor explains. "They want her for the Omaha project."_

"_That's a military operation, it'll destroy her," Bryce says, staring at the other man. "She's not..."_

"_I'm required to send all the top test results to the agency."_

"_I want my girlfriend out of this."_

"_Look, key words in her essay responses correlate to 98 percent of subliminal images in the exam."_

"_You don't get it," Bryce says. "She's a good person; she's got too much heart for this kind of work, she's no operative. You can't put her out in the field, she won't survive!"_

"_The agency is not going to let go of a recruit this promising, the amount of information she can retain..."_

"_They're not gonna give her a choice?" Bryce asks._

"_She's in no matter what."_

_Bryce pauses, staring at his hands for a moment before looking up._

"_What if she's pregnant?"_

"_They need her priorities to be them, not... a child," he sighs._

"_Then tell them that, it's all they need to know about her."_

"_Bryce, is she-"_

"_Tell them she's pregnant, and that she won't be joining their program anytime soon."_

"Oh my God," Bela whispers as the video ends. "Oh, no."

"You were pregnant?" Chuck yells.

"No, he lied!" she growls before sighing. "He lied to protect me."

He stares up at her, not knowing what to say.

"My God, Bryce," she whispers before turning quickly to the door. "How long have you been there?"

"I'm sorry," Sarah apologizes, stepping into the room. "But we can't let you keep this."

"Chuck needs to see his," says quietly, sitting back onto the bed. "He needs to know, too."

"Okay," she nods, moving over behind Chuck. Bela stays on the bed, glancing up now and then as she listens to her ex lover's voice on the video.

"Bryce framed me for cheating to save me," Chuck says after it finishes. "He lied to protect the both of us... then why couldn't he just tell us that to begin with?"

"He couldn't," Sarah says, her voice shaking. "They had already recruited him."

"Well look if he had good reason for getting me kicked out, maybe he had good reason to breaking into the Intersect, too," Chuck says, glancing at Bela.

"And maybe he had a good reason for sending it to you," she whispers, toying with her now empty bottle. "I just wish I could talk to him..."

"No one can know about this," Sarah interrupts, taking the disc. "For your own safety, okay?"

"Sure," Chuck sighs. "No one would believe me, anyway."

"I'm uh, I'm gonna head home," Bela says, standing up and quickly moving to the door.

"Bela..." he starts, staring at her with concern.

"I'm fine, Chuck," she smiles. "It's... I'm fine."

He nods and she quickly leaves, Sarah turning back to Chuck.

"Is she okay?" she asks as he stands up, walking with her down the hallway.

"Well I'm sure you know by now that Bryce and Bela dated at Stanford," he says, holding the door open for her.

"I gathered that, from the video," she nods.

"He loved her," he smiles as he sits down at the fountain, Sarah joining him.

"She loved him back?" she asks quietly, taking it all in.

"He met her dad, and no one does that," he laughs, shaking his head.

She nods, playing with the disc in her hands.

"I'm sorry, I know you and Bryce..." he says, frowning.

"It's alright," she smiles. "Bryce and me weren't... it wasn't very serious."

"Oh," Chuck says surprised, hiding his smile.

"Stop," she laughs, bumping her shoulder against his. They sit in a comfortable silence until she looks up at him. "What happened to her?"

"What do you mean?" Chuck asks, curious.

"When Casey and I were first assigned to the two of you, Bela was... well, drinking and dating," she laughs.

"That," he says, smiling lightly. "That is how she's been ever since she moved here."

"Why?" Sarah asks, confused.

"Because she's Bela, and she doesn't want to get attached to anyone again," he shrugs. "Not after Bryce."

"But Bryce didn't hurt her," she says slowly.

"We were all best friends, and we couldn't understand why he'd do something like that," he explains. "She broke up with Bryce, finished Stanford and never spoke to him again."

"That must have been hard on her," Sarah says before smiling. "She's lucky to have a friend like you."

"Ahh, now you're getting all sentimental on me," he smirks before remembering something. "But Bela's doing okay now, especially now that you guys talked to her about her habits."

"What do you mean?"

"You know, how she can't keep getting drunk and sleeping with different men every night," he says, blushing slightly.

"That was Casey's rule, which is understandable under the circumstances," she smirks.

"Circumstances?" he asks confused.

"She didn't tell you?" Sarah asks, mentally berating herself as she realises what she's said.

"Tell me what?" he asks, confused at her guilty expression.

"Chuck, I really should let her tell you."

"What did she do?" he sighs.

"Casey."

"What?"

"She's sleeping with Casey," she explains.

"No... no, she wouldn't..." he starts, looking up as Casey exits his apartment, walking over to the two as he throws a bag in the trash.

"Well isn't this cosy," he says, eying them as he walks back past.

"You slept with Bela?" Chuck asks his voice surprisingly steady. Casey turns around, shrugging.

"And?" he asks, before Chuck's fist makes contact with his jaw. Caught off guard he stumbles back, quickly steadying himself.

"Hey!" yells Sarah at the look on Casey's face. "Intersect, _intersect_."

"He just hit me!" he growls, stepping towards Chuck again.

"You slept with my best friend!" he yells.

"I thought that hippie was your best friend," Casey says, rubbing his jaw.

"They both are. She's like family to me. God, you _touched_ her!" Chuck says, shaking his head in disgust.

"And she moaned through all of it," Casey smirks, making Chuck launch at him again.

"Hey! Chuck, stop it!" Sarah yells, pulling him back.

"Casey go home!" she orders.

"You know what? I might go pay someone a visit instead," he smirks, heading towards Bela's.

"You need to report this!" Chuck yells at Sarah, glaring at the other man.

"Chuck," she says, resting a hand on his shoulder.

"You need to report it, now!" he growls, shrugging off her arm and storming into his apartment.

"Casey?" Bela asks, opening her door as she wipes at her eyes. "What happened?"

"Your stupid friend," he growls, rubbing his jaw as he glances down at the beer in her hand.

"Chuck hit you?" she asks, trying to hide a smile. "With what?"

"His fist," Casey says, leaning towards her. She eyes him suspiciously before shoving him out the door, locking it behind her.

"Where are you going?" he asks, following her down the sidewalk.

"Chuck's."

"What? Bela-"

"Go home Casey!" she yells, not looking back.

"I'm sorry," Bela says, standing in the door way. Chuck looks up at her surprised, noticing the ice pack in her hand.

"Why… why Casey?" he asks. She sighs and sits down next to him.

"Chuck you've known me longer than anyone here. I sleep with inappropriate men, you _know_ that."

"Is that all it was?" he asks, looking up at her.

"What?"

"Is that all it was. A one time thing?" he asks, watching her face.

"I can't tell you that Chuck," she says and he sighs. "But I can promise you, whatever happens I'll tell you first, okay?"

"Fine... But why Casey?" he asks, noticing the hint of a smile playing at her lips.

"I don't think you really want to know," she says, causing him to laugh slightly.

"Yeah, you're right," he says as she hands him the ice pack, pressing it lightly against his bruising knuckles.

"The sex is great, though," she says after a moment, causing him to flop backwards, pulling a pillow over his head. "Just... wanted to share."

"No sharing, ever!" he yells, his voice muffled.

"As you wish," she laughs as he throws the pillow at her.

* * *

A/N: So now everyone knows. Well, the important people anyway. And yes, Sarah should report the two of them, but the way I'm writing this I'll be playing up her feelings for Chuck a lot more so if it was the two of them, she wouldn't want Casey to report it either. This way she has something to hold over Casey, too. Next chapter should be up soon, but probably not until early February. Please review.


	8. Chuck vs The Truth

A/N: Sorry this one took a while to get out. It was going to be posted a lot earlier but I got busy, and I just couldn't find the time. But here it is finally. The truth serum episode/chapter, please review.

* * *

"Hi?" Bela asks, staring at Casey from the doorway.

"Bela," he nods, not looking up from his book. She sighs, dropping her keys on the kitchen bench before walking over to him.

"You're still mad?" she frowns.

"No," he growls, trying to ignore her.

"I said I'm sorry, but Chuck's my best friend. Casey-"

"Shh!" he hisses.

"Fine," she growls, turning. "Have it your way."

He looks up, quickly throwing down the book as he grabs her wrist, stopping her.

"Wait," he says, pulling her back and onto his lap.

"He's my best friend, I had to explain to him what happened," she says, making herself comfortable as she straddles him.

"But he hit me," he complains.

"Oh, aren't we a child," she laughs, stroking the bruise on his cheek. "He really got you."

"He caught me off guard," he growls, turning away. She turns his head back, gently caressing the area with her lips.

"Better?" she asks and he smirks up at her.

"No."

"Just like a child," she laughs and his hands slide around to rest on her back. "Or not."

"I didn't see you today," he says, watching her carefully. She stares down at him, thinking for a moment.

"Different shifts?"

"We have the same shifts so I can keep an eye on you and Bartowski," he says, his hands rubbing up and down her back. "You could have come over last night."

"I was with Chuck half the night," she says.

"I know, playing video games," he growls, causing her to frown at him.

"You were spying on us again, weren't you," she sighs.

"I have to, it's my job," he says, staring up at her.

"Is this your job, too?" she smirks, rolling her hips against his. He groans, his hands sliding down to rest on her hips.

"No, this is just a bonus," he growls, pulling her head down to his. She moves against him, her hands beginning to unbutton his shirt.

"I take it you're staying then," he says.

"Chuck and Sarah are on a date, and I'm bored," she shrugs, laughing as he suddenly stands up, still holding her as she wraps her legs around his waist.

"Then why are we wasting time talking," he growls, backing her against the wall.

* * *

"Bela," Sarah smiles walking over to the other woman. She looks up, quickly turning away from her observation of Chuck and Lou. "What are you doing?"

"Nothing, I don't know," she says quickly, smiling wide. "You look nice, you've changed since this morning."

"Yes," Sarah says, watching her. "You spent the night at Casey's again?"

"Chuck was on a date with you, and I was bored," she shrugs, blushing slightly. "Casey's fun."

"Please, don't," Sarah says, smiling lightly as she makes a face. "So what were you looking at?"

Sarah moves to look over Bela's shoulder, catching sight of Chuck talking to Lou.

"Who's that?" she asks, curious.

"Customer; Chuck fixed her phone," she explains.

"A very grateful customer, she just hugged him?" Sarah asks. Bela glances at her before turning back to them.

"Oh, I wonder what's in the bag," she says, pausing as Sarah joins Chuck and Lou.

She stares wide eyed at Chuck standing awkwardly in the middle of the two as Sarah and Lou shake hands. Lou soon leaves, Sarah turning to say something to Chuck before walking back over to her.

"We have a mission," she says quickly as she walks past her, Chuck joining her.

"You're in trouble," she smirks, nudging him as they walk. "What did you do?"

"So I didn't introduce Sarah as my girlfriend," he shrugs.

"Chuck!" Bela scolds, slapping him on the arm.

"Would you introduce Casey as your boyfriend?" he asks, smirking at her surprised look.

"No, because we're only sleeping together, we don't go on dates like the two of you," she says.

"Fine," he mumbles.

* * *

"This is just a storage room, that just happens to store people in this room, people who are no longer breathing and who are refrigerated," Chuck mutters to himself, sitting next to Bela on an empty gurney.

"Man up Bartowski, gotta store 'em somewhere," Casey says. "Better than stacked up on a curb like garbage, right?"

Sarah uncovers the body, examining the man's hair. Bela watches her as Chuck stares up at the roof.

"Eyes on the prize," Casey tells him before glancing at Bela. "Getting any flashes?"

"Good lord, the man is naked!" Chuck yells, covering his eyes. Bela raises an eyebrow at him as Casey moves over to the body.

"Appears rigor mortis has set in, too," Casey grins, shoving a needle into the corpse and draining up some blood.

"Oh," Chuck says, beginning to gag.

"Find anything?" Casey asks, glancing at Sarah.

"Nothing yet, no codes," she says, leaning over the man. "Hang on a second, what is this?"

Bela hops down from the gurney, moving to see what Sarah had found.

"Bug," Sarah says, holding up the small object. She hands it to Casey who begins running it through the computer.

"What is it?" she asks, moving over to Casey.

"The guy was poisoned," he says. "Toxic derivative of Pentothal, initially the subject becomes uncontrollably truthful, after it accumulates in the occipital lobe the victim suffers from unconsciousness and eventually death."

"What's the time line on this thing?" Sarah asks, securing the chip in a plastic container.

"Can't say," he shrugs. "Could be a couple hours, could be minutes depending on the concentration."

* * *

"Bela," Sarah smiles meeting her at the gate. Bela looks up guiltily, trying to hide the beer in her hand. "Drinking again?"

"I found it," she says slowly.

"That's a really bad excuse."

"I know," Bela sighs. "I've never been a quick thinker."

Sarah watches as she finishes the bottle, quickly tossing it into the recycling.

"You're going to Casey's again?" she asks.

"Yes… I figure Chuck and you are spending the night-"

"For our cover!" Sarah interrupts, causing Bela to raise an eyebrow. "It's for our cover."

"Okay, spending the night for your cover, I figure that I'll distract Casey, stop him from listening in," she shrugs.

"We won't be doing anything," Sarah adds, blushing lightly.

"So you want him listening in?"

"Good point," she says, before pausing. "So do you always drink before seeing Casey?"

"Not... not always," she says before stopping to think. "Not a lot."

"Have you ever been with someone sober?" Sarah asks, frowning.

"Yes," Bela says, crossing her arms defensively.

"With someone that wasn't Bryce?" she asks softly, watching the other woman tense at the mention of his name.

"You're gonna be late for your... whatever it is," Bela frowns, walking past her to Casey's door and knocking hard.

"Bela?"

"Have a fun night," she says, pushing past Casey inside. He glances at Sarah before closing the door, locking it behind them.

"What's she all dressed up for?" he asks, moving back into the living room.

"Her big night with Chuck?" she says, glancing over at him from the kitchen. "For their cover?"

"Right," he nods, playing around with his surveillance equipment. "What are you doing?"

"Coffee," she says.

"You mean you won't taste like beer for once?" he smirks, earning a smack across the back of the head as she walks past.

"I don't always," she frowns, sitting opposite him.

"Yeah, you do," he says, watching her. "That's why I want you drinking less, plus we need you alert as the intersect."

She sighs, sipping her coffee.

"What are you doing?" she asks as he pulls his headphones on.

"Surveillance," he says.

"You're kidding," she growls, staring at him.

"What?" he asks. When she doesn't answer he looks up. "Come here."

She sets down her cup, moving over to him. He pulls her onto his lap, waiting for her to get comfortable as he rests a hand on her waist.

"They're fighting," he says, kissing her shoulder as she puts the headphones on. She smiles, leaning her head back as he begins kissing up her neck.

"Ah!" she hisses, ripping the headphones off.

"What?" he asks, taking them from her. He pulls them on briefly before wincing. "Interference."

"From where?" she asks, moving off of him.

"From who," he growls, standing up.

He grabs a piece of equipment as she follows him outside.

"You're not changing?" she asks, glancing at his pajamas.

"No time," he says as he knocks on Chuck's front door.

"Sorry to bother you folks, can you spare some milk I'm all out," Casey asks, standing at the door with Bela.

"Sure thing," Devon says as he lets them in. "You guys just run into each other?"

"Yes," they both say, Bela moving over next to Chuck. "What's wrong with Ellie, she sounded upset."

"How do you-he's got you listening too?" he asks in disbelief.

"We could have been doing other things," she offers, causing him to screw his face up.

"What are you guys doing here, anyway?" he asks.

"Getting some cross talk," Casey explains, walking around the room as he tries to find the source.

"What from?" Sarah asks.

"Those pyjamas make you look like Dennis the Menace's father," Ellie laughs before passing out on the couch.

"Ellie!" Chuck yells as Bela and him quickly kneeling next to her. Casey moves closer, picking up a signal. He brushes her hair back, Sarah finding another bug just behind Ellie's ear.

"Well, she was poisoned," Casey says bluntly, Bela planting a solid kick to his shin.

* * *

"Hey," Chuck says urgently, shaking a sleeping Bela next to him. She groans, sitting up and staring at him.

"I fell asleep? I'm sorry," she apologises, resting her hand on his arm. He quickly shoves the chain into her hand, not saying a word.

"Okay," she says slowly as she frowns at him, glancing down at the chip hanging off the end of the chain. "Oh...kay."

"Top secret security order for the CIA, Sanctuary?" Chuck asks. She nods, the two quickly standing up and running out of the room.

"They're this way," Bela says, Chuck following closely.

"We found them!" he yells as they see the others. He stumbles into a trolley, knocking the vial of poison out of Reardon's hand. "I got the codes; the codes are on the necklace we found them!"

"The vial," Reardon says, all of them glancing at the floor as they inhale the gas. He looks at Chuck, quickly snatching the necklace from him as he runs out of the room, Casey and Sarah following.

"Wait, wait!" Chuck yells, Bela and him running after them.

Casey grabs a crutch from a patient, throwing it at the man and knocking him down. The antidote flies out of his hand and Sarah leaps to catch it, falling on her stomach with it securely in her grip.

"Casey, wait," Sarah says as he begins to follow him. "What about Chuck and Bela?"

He turns back, staring at the two.

"Here," Sarah says, handing the vial to Chuck.

"No, no it's for Ellie," he says, shaking his head.

"No, I'm sorry there's no debate it has to be one of you two, you're the intersects," she explains.

"Then give it to Bela!" Casey growls, causing her to look up at him startled.

"I won't take it knowing that Ellie will die without it, that all of you have been poisoned, too," she argues.

"You're a good person Bela, and we've had one hell of a time but I've got a job to do so take it before I shove it down your throat!" Casey yells.

"Fine," she says, nudging Chuck. "I'll do it. I'll pretend to agree to take it then I'll run like hell to Ellie's room and make her take it, why did I just say that out loud?"

"It's the poison, it makes you tell the truth," Sarah explains.

"You do that I'll give chase, put a gun to your head and threaten to pull the trigger if you don't take it," Casey says, staring at her.

"Would you really shoot her?" Chuck asks.

"'Course not," he says.

"Yeah don't waste the bullet, we're already dead," Bela growls, sprinting to Ellie's room as they quickly follow.

"Thank you," Chuck says as she hands him the vial.

"Anytime," she smiles, waiting outside as he goes to his sister's side and tips the antidote down her throat.

"Great," Sarah sighs, pulling her wig off as they join Bela.

"You should have taken it," Casey growls, leaning next to her. She glances up at him before smirking.

"What?" he asks, resting a hand on her back. Sarah watches as Bela takes his hand, leading him down the hallway. She slips into an empty exam room, quickly locking the door as Casey pulls the blinds.

"How long do we have?" she asks, unbuttoning her jeans.

"Depends on the concentration," he shrugs. "Not long I should think, we'll be dead soon enough."

She stares at him wide eyed, her fingers looped in her jeans.

"You asked," he says, pulling off his scrubs top. She finishes undressing, leaning against the gurney as she waits for him.

"You bruise easily," he notes, staring at the marks on her hips.

"And you hold back," she smirks, laughing as he all but throws her up onto the makeshift bed.

"Now is not the time for honesty," he growls, kissing her.

* * *

"That was amazing," Casey says, the two sneaking out of the exam room. He rests his hand on her lower back as they make their way down to Ellie's room.

"You were okay," Bela shrugs, joining the others.

"That's right-wait, what?" he asks.

"Ellie looks better," she smiles, looking through the window as they walk past.

Chuck nods, staring up at the two.

"You're sweaty and flushed, you just had sex with Casey, didn't you?" he asks.

"Sex that was apparently just okay," Casey mutters, pulling her aside.

"It must be nerves, you're usually incredible," she says, resting her hand on his.

"Incredible," Casey gloats before joining the others. Bela shakes her head, catching her foot on something as she moves to sit next to him. She picks it up, staring at it.

"Bad guy's name is Reardon Payne, used to be an Olympic gymnast blew out his knee now he sells hard to find items like nuclear codes to hard to find people," she blurts out, tossing the device to Chuck who confirms her flash. "People who want to spend lots of cash on these codes but they're not gonna get the chance."

"No, why not?" Casey asks.

"'Cause that things gonna lead us right to him," she says.

* * *

"I got it, I got it," Casey says as they reach Reardon's.

"I got it!" Sarah argues.

"Well who's better at it?" Bela asks, staring at the two.

"I am," Sarah says, raising her hand.

"She is, damn truth serum," Casey growls as Sarah kneels down, unlocking the door. They rush in, waiting in front of the elevators.

"I miss you with Bryce," Chuck says to Bela, Sarah only just hearing what he said.

"Chuck," Bela warns, nodding at Casey. He hadn't heard but was looking at them curiously.

"What, it's not like you have feelings for him," Chuck laughs, the others pausing as she turns away quickly. "Bela?"

"What?" she asks, pressing her hands against her mouth.

"Do you have feelings for him?" Chuck asks.

"'Course she does, who wouldn't," Casey smirks, winking at her.

"I enjoy the sex," she blurts out, Chuck quickly turning to Sarah as a distraction.

"God, you're so pretty," he sighs, smiling at her. She looks over at him, smiling to herself at the compliment.

"You don't have feelings for me?" Casey asks Bela as they enter the lift.

"I don't know what I feel," she answers. He nods, accepting that as Sarah and he take out their guns. They reach Reardon's door, Sarah leaning over and knocking.

"Yes, who is it?" he calls from inside.

"The NSA, CIA, and us two, who's a little tougher to explain but-" Chuck starts, Casey growling and shooting the lock.

"Well we all have our skill set," he shrugs.

"Freeze!" Sarah orders, the guns trained on Reardon. "My partner would rather shoot you in the face than let you get away."

"You called me your partner," Casey says surprised as she nods. "Where are the codes you son of a bitch?"

"First the antidote," Sarah says.

"Actually I was just about to enjoy a little antidote myself," Reardon says, slowly moving down the stairs. "What kind of host would I be if I didn't offer you some as well."

"Ahah careful there I haven't killed anyone in a little while I'm getting a little antsy," Casey warns as he picks up the antidote. He hands them the vials slowly, everyone moving to take a sip.

"Wait no no no wait don't don't!" Chuck yells, stopping them.

"Did you have a flash?" Sarah asks, glancing at Bela.

"No, no I've just read tonnes of comic books," he says. "And the villain always samples it first."

Reardon smiles, looking down briefly before pushing Casey out of the way and cart wheeling across the room.

Sarah takes aim and fires, shooting him right in the knee.

"Very unsportsmanlike," Casey says, glancing at her. "I like it."

"The antidote's in the cabinet, bottom right shelf," Reardon says as Bela finishes bandaging his knee. "Key's in my pocket, codes are in my right shoe."

Sarah takes the key as Chuck kneels down, getting the codes.

"Here," Sarah says, handing them the vials. Bela takes hers immediately, Casey smirking at her before following.

"There wasn't anything you wanted to ask me?" he asks, moving away from Sarah and Chuck.

"Nothing I wouldn't ask you normally," she shrugs. "If you lie to me, you've got a reason."

"God, you're something," he grins, shaking his head.

* * *

"We've received the codes, and now our weapons sites are more secure than ever," Beckman says, the agents and both Chuck and Bela sitting in the home theatre room of the Buy More. "Congratulations on a job well done."

"We all poisoned ourselves, how is this good?" Bela whispers to Chuck.

"Shut it," Casey growls, glancing at her over his shoulder.

The general ignores the interruption and continues talking to the agents.

"Trouble in paradise?" Chuck teases, turning away as Bela glares at him.

Casey and Sarah pull their guns on Tang as he charges into the room.

"What the hell?" Bela snorts as they stare up at him.

"Major Casey, who's infiltrated the home theatre room?" Beckman asks.

"I-I-I see nothing out of the ordinary here," Tang says, hands raised. "Carry on Bartowski, Tiernan."

"Stay right where you are!" Sarah orders when he attempts to move.

"Wait, wait, wait, wait, what are you going to do with him?" Chuck asks.

"We'll take care of it," Casey says, leading Tang out of the room as Bela and Chuck exchange glances.

"I'm gonna go make sure he doesn't do anything... severe," Bela says, leaving. She follows them quietly, listening to what Casey was saying to Tang.

"Idiot," she whispers to herself as Tang is fooled by what he says. She waits until he leaves, quickly moving to Casey's side.

"You're brilliant," she laughs.

"I know you hated that guy," he shrugs, turning to face her.

"Thank you," she smiles, wrapping her arms around him before realising what she was doing. She goes to move before he stops her, resting his hands on her hips and pulling her closer. "Casey?"

"Shh," he growls, kissing her. He pulls back for a moment, staring down at her.

"What?" she asks before he grabs her arm, pulling her back to the theatre room.

"General, you're still here," he says, nodding as he approaches Sarah.

"Agent Casey," Sarah nods, Bela rejoining Chuck on the couch.

"I need your help," Casey whispers to Sarah, nodding at Bela. "Please."

"What is this about, agents?" Beckman asks, frowning. Sarah looks at Casey before stepping forward.

"We think given Bela's current... situation, that we need to change Casey's cover," she explains.

"Major Casey?" Beckman asks.

"Ma'am, I believe that to make the cover more believable, I should approach the situation as Agent Walker does with Chuck."

"You want to pose as her boyfriend?" the director asks.

"It's not a matter of wanting to," he answers quickly, ignoring Bela's sudden intake of air. "It's a matter of... keeping a better watch on her."

"Has something happened that we should know about?" Beckman asks, watching the two agents exchange glances. "If you're having trouble with her, then she can be sent to Washington for permanent surveillance."

"What?" Bela asks, Chuck glancing at her nervously.

"No," Casey answers quickly. "She's no trouble; this is just to make the cover more believable."

"Chuck is easier to monitor when I'm with him, but Bela is gaining attention from, well, other men. If people know she's with Casey, she'll receive less attention," Sarah explains. "It will keep the intersect better protected if we know where she is, who she's with."

"Alright," Beckman sighs, writing some notes down in front of her. "Casey, your new cover is Bela's boyfriend. You're to do the same as Agent Walker and go to the same places if need be."

"Understood," he nods before they end the transmission.

"It's not a matter of wanting to," Bela mimics, making a face as Casey turns to face her.

"Chuck, let's step outside," Sarah says, the two quickly leaving.

"What is wrong with you?" Casey asks in disbelief. "Do you know what I just did?"

"You asked someone else permission to date me!" Bela yells, standing up to face him. "What is wrong with _you_?"

"You're insane," he says, shaking his head at her.

"I just don't understand what you just did," she says, staring up at him.

He stalks over to her, quickly closing the space between them. It takes her a moment to respond, her hands clutching his shirt.

"Now," he says, pulling back from her slightly. "We can do that wherever we want."

"Hmm?" she asks, smiling up at him lazily.

* * *

"What are you doing?" Bela asks, glancing up at Chuck as he joins her in the break room.

"I'm breaking up with Sarah," he says, tossing his uniform into his bag.

"You're what?" she asks slowly setting down the paper she was reading.

"I need to do this, Bells," he says, kissing her on top of the head as he walks past. "I'll talk to you later."

"But, Chuck!" she yells, watching him leave. "Idiot!"

She rests her head against the table, glaring at the wall as she tries to make sense of what Chuck said.

"What are you doing?" Casey asks, sitting down opposite her.

"Nothing," she growls, ignoring him as he takes out his phone.

"Meant to ask you," he says into the phone. "When you were affected did you say anything to compromise yourself?"

"Is that Sarah?" Bela asks, standing up. He nods, watching her.

"Tell her I'll be over in a minute," she says as she grabs her bag and coat from her locker.

"What are you doing?" he asks after hanging up.

"I'm going out tonight, with Sarah," she says. "I'm taking her out for drinks."

"Drinks?" he asks, staring up at her.

She smiles, leaning down and kissing him before straightening up.

"I will see you tomorrow," she says.

* * *

"Sarah," Bela smiles walking into the Wienerlicious.

"Hey, Bela," Sarah sighs, turning away from the window.

"Come on," Bela says, grabbing her arm.

"What-where are we?" she asks confused.

"Your shift is over?"

"Yes, but-"

"Then we are going to get drunk," she smiles.

"Is this your way of trying to get around Casey's rule?" Sarah smirks, following her.

"This is me being a friend," she says, stopping for a moment. "Chuck told me, before he left today he told me what he was going to do."

"He broke up with me," she nods. "He ended our fake relationship."

Bela took note of the change in her voice when she said 'fake' but chose to ignore it right at this moment.

"Alright, time to introduce you to some friends of mine," Bela jokes.

"Do you think we could stop at my apartment, first? I'd rather change than go like this," Sarah smiles, gesturing down at her work clothes.

"While I'm sure many fellow drinkers of the opposite sex would get a kick out of it, I have to agree," Bela laughs. "Let's go."

* * *

"Thanks for letting me borrow this," Bela says, zipping up one of Sarah's dresses. "I was just going to wear my clothes from the Buy More but this is much better."

"Well I wasn't wearing my work clothes so why should you," Sarah says.

"But technically aren't all of these your work clothes?" Bela asks, smirking.

"True," Sarah nods before throwing something at Bela. "And the shoes are just a bonus; try those."

"Comfy," Bela sighs, slipping into the heels.

Sarah smiles, grabbing her bag from the counter.

"Before we go, I need to tell you something," Bela frowns, not looking at Sarah.

"What is it? Is this about Chuck again because I really can't-?"

"It's about Bryce," she says.

"Oh?"

"Look, I know you dated him," she says, the corner of her mouth twitching slightly.

"I know, and it wasn't serious," she says quickly. "And I know how you felt about him, I never-we never felt that for each other."

"Chuck's been sharing," Bela says, Sarah nodding.

"He cares about you, you know?" she says. "He just wanted me to understand you better."

"Understand me better," she laughs. "Because I'm not enough of a freak without this computer in my head I now need to be explained to people."

"Bryce loved you, Bela," Sarah smiles, watching the other woman. "You need to remember that."

"You know, you're not as bad as Casey says," she smirks, quickly wiping a stray tear from her cheek.

"Thank you?" Sarah asks, Bela walking out the door with her.

"Don't worry, it was a compliment," she laughs, following her down the hallway.

* * *

A/N: Well there was some last minute Sarah/Bela bonding and a cover change for Casey as well. Not saying when the next one will be out because I honestly don't know but the next few chapters are all near completion so it shouldn't be too long. Please review!


	9. Chuck vs The Imported Hard Salami

A/N: Like with the Carina episode, this one with Chuck's new girlfriend was harder to write so it took a little longer but here it is. Also I try to get these out as quick as I can, but realistically I get one maybe two nights a week to myself where I actually have time to work on them, so that's why they're not being finished one after another. So please be patient, and please review.

* * *

"You're late," Casey says, pulling open Bela's car door.

"The hell?" she asks, staring up at him confused. "I just pulled up."

"You got home late last night," he notes, watching for her reaction.

She groans, pressing a hand to her head.

"Don't remind me," she sighs.

"How much did you drink?" he asks, holding her door open.

"Uhh," she yawns, climbing slowly out of the car. He chuckles as she begins to wake up, leaning against the car. "Too much."

"Did you...?"

"I didn't do anything," she says, lifting her sunglasses to stare into his eyes. "I promise."

"Right," he nods, clearing his throat. "Good."

She pulls her sunglasses back on, pulling her bag out of the car before locking it.

"Casey!" she yelps as he pushes her against the side of the car, his lips making contact with her neck as his hand slides up under her shirt. She laughs, quickly running a hand through his hair before pushing him up.

"It's our cover," he growls, leaning her against the car again. She grins, turning her head as she pushes him away.

"I'm also late; the Buy More may just be for your cover, but it's also my _real_ job," she says, buttoning up her shirt. He smirks, watching her actions before she slaps him on the arm. "Casey."

"Fine," he sighs, throwing an arm across her shoulders.

She glances at him but rests her hand on his as they enter the store.

Casey glares at Morgan as he waves, staring at them questioningly. Bela snorts, waving back.

"Don't provoke him," he warns.

"Don't provoke you more like it," she teases.

"I'll see you later," he says, kissing her before heading towards the staff room. She smiles to herself, stopping as she sees Sarah coming out of the theatre room in tears.

"Sarah?" she asks, glancing at Chuck before following her. "Sarah, hey."

"I'm okay," she sniffs, Bela following her out of the store. "You're going to be late."

"I don't care, what's wrong? What did Chuck-?"

"Chuck didn't do anything," she sighs, turning to her. "Chuck wants to stay broken up. This is for the cover, his friends were watching us."

"Of course," Bela nods, not quite believing this.

"Uh you and Casey, you're... your cover is okay?" Sarah asks, wiping her eyes again.

"Casey's taking full advantage of it, but it's to be expected," she chuckles.

"I'm sure he is," she says, smiling lightly. "Thank you for last night."

"Anytime; it's a nice change not to go out with Chuck and Morgan," she smiles. "Ellie's usually at work or with Devon, we don't go out much."

"Well it was fun," Sarah smiles. "It was nice to have a break."

"Well technically you were still watching one of the intersects," Bela smirks.

"Speaking of that... You'd better get to work," she nods. "Casey's been watching you for the last five minutes."

"What? Unbelievable," she sighs. "See you later."

"Hey, Bells," Chuck grins, walking over to her as soon as she re-enters the Buy More. "You're late."

She ignores him, glancing up and catching Casey's eye.

"Bells?" Chuck tries again, following her.

"Please stop calling me that," she growls, turning to him. "_Please._"

"I'm sorry," he apologizes, staring down at her. "I didn't mean to-"

"No, I'm sorry I snapped at you," she sighs, running a hand through her hair. "It's just everything with you and Sarah, and now Casey and me."

"Casey and you," he chuckles before pausing. "Wait, Sarah and me?"

"She likes you Chuck and you just might have blown it," she explains. "We went out for drinks last night-"

"Casey let you?" he teases before motioning for her to continue.

"We went out for drinks and we talked about things, which reminds me you told her about Bryce you dolt," she growls.

"I didn't think you'd mind…?" he says slowly, waiting for her to hit him. She watches him carefully before continuing.

"She likes you, Chuck."

"Wait, what do you mean? She _likes me_, likes me? Or likes me like you like me?" he asks nervously.

"Does it matter? You want to stay broken up," she shrugs.

"Look I like Sarah, okay? But I asked her if anything would ever happen and she said no," he sighs. "And Lou, I really like her Bela."

"Her name is Lou?" she smirks.

"Get it out of your system now, because you're meeting her today."

"What? Chuck, no," she frowns.

"When you're on your lunch break, come find me," he smiles. "I want you to meet her."

"But lunch-"

"Bells," he warns, making her grimace.

"Fine," she sighs. "You quit it with that name, and I'll meet her."

* * *

"I don't like the idea of this breakup at all. What the hell happened?" Beckman asks.

"She got dumped," Casey gloats, Sarah shooting him an incredulous look.

"We decided that it would be best for Chuck to date a civilian. It will help secure his cover in the event that someone IDs me," she says.

"Yeah, because she got dumped," Casey repeats.

"Let me get this straight, some woman comes in off the street and starts dating an asset and this doesn't strike either of you as suspicious?" Beckman asks.

"It was never an issue when civilians were dating Bela, why should Chuck be any different?" Sarah asks.

"Because people actually wanted to date Bela," Casey says, looking away momentarily. "Bartowski's like the ugly step-sister."

"It's not completely unfeasible, he is a reasonably charming guy," Sarah says, ignoring Casey's comment.

"Look I've heard enough, I want to know everything there is to know about this woman before she gets too close," the General says, ending the link.

"You know if Bela wanted to break up with you for some other guy, it'd be different," Sarah huffs, glaring at him. He chuckles, making sure all the communication equipment was switched off.

"Yeah, but I keep her satisfied so there's no concern for that happening," he says smugly.

"Unbelievable," Sarah says, opening the door.

"I was just about to knock," Bela says, hand raised.

"Oh he's in a fine mood tonight," she growls, moving past her. Bela watches her leave before walking in, locking the door behind her. She turns to Casey, frowning.

"What did you do?"

He pauses, his shirt half over his head. Laughing, she steps toward him and pulls it completely off.

"What did you do?" she repeats, folding the material up as she makes her way to his bedroom.

"The General wants us to look into Lou's history; we think that she may know who Chuck is," he explains, watching her as she puts away his clothing.

"You know Chuck is a great guy, any girl would be lucky to date him," she says, sitting down on his bed as she pulls her boots off.

"A girl like you?" he frowns, making her laugh.

"I met him when we were in college. I was already dating someone, and we became friends. He is _still_ my best friend," she says, smiling up at him. "No need to be jealous over him."

"Jealous over Bartowski? You're kidding," he shrugs, turning.

"Although there was that time a few years ago..." she says slowly, grinning as he turns around glaring at her. "Kidding; and you're busted."

He growls, tackling her back onto the bed. Laughing, she wraps her legs around his waist as he quickly makes work of the buttons on her shirt.

"I met Lou today," she says, glancing up at him as he pauses. "What?"

"You met her by yourself?" he growls.

"Of course not, Chuck came with me," she shrugs. "Why is this a problem? She's a nice girl."

"I don't want you to be alone with her, not until we're sure of who she is," he orders.

"Fine," she says, laughing as his lips slide across her stomach.

* * *

"Morning," Casey says, watching as Bela begins to stir.

"Morning," she mumbles, rolling onto her back. "Were you watching me sleep, because that I would have a problem with."

"You woke me up," he says, leaning over her. "You kicked me."

"I what?" she laughs.

"You kicked me," he whispers, leaning down and kissing her. "I think you were dreaming."

She quickly pushes him off of her and onto his back, climbing on top of him.

"I'm sorry," she smiles, kissing him.

"It was a hard kick," he growls, running his hands down her sides. She shivers, smiling down at him.

"Then I will make it up to you," she whispers, kissing him again.

He responds instantly, deepening the kiss as she moves above him.

"You make me do everything," she smiles, leaning over him and pulling a condom from the dresser.

"It's more fun when you do," he chuckles, watching her pull the wrapper open with her teeth.

"I'm buying the next lot," she says, screwing her face up at the taste. He starts to say something before she silences him by sliding the rubber onto his length.

"Buy whatever you want," he groans as she slides down onto him. She grins, her fingers sliding across his stomach.

"That's what I like to hear," she whispers.

"Whatever you say, sweetheart," he hisses, his hands gripping her hips.

"You're so easy," she laughs, moaning as he moves with her.

"You just ask at the right time," he smirks, her hands covering his as he digs his fingers into her hips. "Am I hurting you?"

"No," she chuckles.

"Good," he nods, watching as she leans down and kisses him.

"John," she sighs, tilting her head slightly.

"Hmm," he mumbles, smiling at her use of his first name.

"Door… knocking," she whispers, glancing at him. He grips her hips harder, groaning as he rolls his head back.

She gasps a few moments later, collapsing on top of him.

"They're still at the front door," she mumbles after a while, sliding a hand across his chest.

"I'll take care of it," he says, kissing her before getting up. She mumbles something again, pulling a pillow over her head as he dresses.

"You're definitely not a morning person, even after that," he says, quickly making his way down to the front door.

"What?" he asks, seeing Sarah and Chuck standing there.

"Chuck flashed last night, on his date," Sarah says, letting herself in. "We need to talk to Beckman."

"I need a few minutes," Casey says, glaring at Chuck as he walks into the apartment.

"I'll call Bela," Chuck says, dialing her number as Casey pauses.

"That's great," Sarah smirks, picking up Bela's ringing phone from the counter. "Bring her down with you, Casey."

"What?" Chuck asks before realization hits him. "Oh. Oh, ew."

"We'll be down in a minute," he growls.

"We'll be down in a minute," Chuck mimics once Casey's left the room. He moves into the kitchen, fixing a pot of coffee as Sarah raises an eyebrow at him.

"What?" he asks, noticing her look. "She won't function without it."

She laughs, glancing up as the two join them.

"Morning," Chuck says, watching Bela. She nods at him, heading straight to the kitchen for coffee. Casey sets up the link to Beckman as she pours herself a cup before joining them.

"Agents," Beckman says, coming up on the screen.

"General," Casey nods, watching as the images of the man Chuck flashed on are shown.

"Stavros Dimitrios, a handsome playboy," Beckman explains. "Owns and operates a number of LA clubs."

"I don't think he's that handsome," Chuck shrugs, Bela smirking at him.

"He's the son of Yaray Dimitrios, the shipping magnet," she continues.

"What do you mean by playboy, what kind of Intel do we have on that?" Chuck asks.

"What we have is information that a volatile package is coming to Los Angeles," she says. "The cargo itself is time sensitive which knowing the Dimitrios family ties to the Middle East could mean a weapon."

"Chuck, we need you to get as close to Stavros as possible and see if you flash on anything related to the shipment," Sarah says.

"What, what you want me to get close to my girlfriend's ex?" he asks. "How do you want me to do that, plus I don't want to get her involved in all this."

"Well why don't you and your girlfriend hit Club Aries tonight," Casey suggests. "I hear it's supposed to be all the rage."

* * *

"Excuse me," Lou asks, walking up to Morgan. "Hi, do you know where I could find Chuck?"

"Ahh the sandwich maker, I have heard so much about you," he says, leaning towards her as he runs his eyes over her.

"Thank you," she says, laughing nervously.

"And I must be...?" he asks.

"The guy that works at the Buy More?" she guesses.

"Close; Morgan Grimes?" he asks, shaking her hand. "Chuck's best friend, soul mate?"

"Sorry," she apologizes, noticing someone over his shoulder. "Bela!"

"Bela?" Morgan asks, confused.

"Lou, hi," she says, joining them.

"Bela," she smiles, sighing in relief. "I'm looking for Chuck?"

"Sure, he's just-"

"You've met Bela?" Morgan asks, confused.

"We met yesterday, at lunch," Bela says before turning back to her.

"Why wasn't I invited?" he says as Chuck joins them.

"Hey, there you are," he smiles. "Glad you've all finally met."

"I brought you some lunch," Lou smiles.

"Oh, thank you," Morgan says, snatching the bag from her. "Mmm I smell salami, black olive, top knot? Okay, this might have a chance of working out."

"Wow," Bela says, smiling at Lou before moving back to the Nerd Herd desk.

"You ready for tonight?" Casey asks, joining her. She looks up at him briefly before turning her attention back to the paperwork in front of her.

"Of course," she nods.

* * *

"I'm here," Bela says, walking in. Casey stops what he's doing at the sight of her. The strapless yellow dress fell just above her knees, clinging tightly to her and flaring out at the waist. His eyes travel down her legs as he bites his lip momentarily at her white heels.

"You're not wearing that," Casey says at once, throwing a coat at her.

"Casey," Sarah says, frowning.

"She'll receive attention from half the place, it could interfere with the mission," he growls.

"Or if Chuck fails I could talk to Stavros and see if I flash on anything," Bela says, staring him down.

"Fine, once you change."

"I'm not changing," she says, not breaking eye contact.

"Awkward," Chuck says, glancing at Sarah.

"She looks fine, Casey," Sarah says, interrupting the two.

He growls, turning back to his equipment.

"Thank you," Bela smiles.

"No problem," Sarah smiles back, handing her a necklace. "This has a mini-mic. If Chuck fails, you're to keep this as close to Stavros as possible."

"I'm not comfortable with all this talk of me failing," Chuck says, watching the two.

"You'll be okay," Bela nods as she glances at Chuck, Casey moving to help her tie the jewelery. "Thanks."

"Ear-wig," he says, handing her the tiny earpiece before making sure she positioned it correctly.

"What's with the rose," she smirks, walking over to Chuck. "Trying to get laid?"

"Bela!" Chuck yells, turning red.

"What, you think I don't know?" she asks, laughing lightly. "It'll work, trust me."

"That' a girl," Casey chuckles.

* * *

"Don't do anything stupid, don't drink anymore than one drink, and don't go off with strange men," Casey says as he helps Bela out of the van.

"Yes, sir," she smirks before moving towards the club.

"She'll be fine," Sarah says as he joins her back at the surveillance monitors.

"Just keep an eye on your boy there, 'kay Walker?" he growls, focusing on the camera at the bar.

"He does have a small neck," Casey chuckles, listening to Chuck and Stavros.

"Maybe I should go in," Sarah says.

"Same bit with you, huh?" he asks.

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"You need me to spell it out?" he asks. "Fine; you fall for the guys you work with, first Bryce now our boy Chuck."

"Bryce was a mistake and I haven't fallen for Chuck," she says. "And you're one to talk, you're sleeping with Bela!"

"Whatever you say," he says. "And Bela is just fun, she knows that."

"So you know she's still dating, then?" Sarah asks slowly, watching his reaction.

"Nice try," he says, smirking at her. "She's not dating anyone."

"That's it, I'm going in," Sarah growls as he continues to watch the surveillance.

"Hey, no you-hey, Walker!" Casey yells as she climbs out of the van.

"Casey?" Bela asks, watching as Chuck confronts Sarah.

"What?" he growls.

"Sarah's just blown it, I'm going in," she says, standing up from the bar.

"Bela, wait it might be alright," he starts, watching as she moves over to Lou. "Damn it."

"Lou!" Bela grins, seeing the other woman.

"Bela, hi," Lou sighs, glancing over at Chuck.

"Are you okay?"

"I'm fine, but Chuck is being stalked by his ex."

"I'm sorry to hear that," she says, glancing at them before nodding at Stavros. "Who's that?"

"That is _my_ ex," she sighs, before pausing. "You should meet him."

"Are you sure?" she asks as Lou leads her to the table.

"Of course!" she nods. "Stavros, this is Bela one of Chuck's friends."

"Isabela," Stavros smiles, standing as she makes eye contact.

"Careful, Bela," Casey says, watching her.

"Nice to meet you," she smiles, taking his hand as he offers her a seat next to him.

"Excuse me," Lou says, leaving the two alone.

"You have a strange friend," he says, nodding at Chuck as he pours them a drink.

"He can be... unpredictable at times," she says, laughing lightly.

"Bela, Stavros's father is heading over you need to keep the mic within hearing distance," Casey says.

Bela smiles, glancing up before flashing on the man.

"Excuse me for a moment," Stavros smiles at her, standing up as his father joins them. They move to the next booth, leaving Bela pressed against the seat trying to listen.

"Got it," Casey says. "Feel free to join us, Bela."

"I'll get back to you on that," she says, smiling as Stavros moves back over to her.

"Sorry for leaving you like that," he apologizes, pouring her another drink.

"That's fine," she smiles as he hands the shot to her.

"We're waiting," Casey growls.

She sighs, ignoring him as she downs the liquor.

"Have you known Lou long?" he asks.

"We only met recently, because of Chuck," she says, frowning as she reaches into her pocket.

"Yes?" she growls into her phone.

"Get out here now, this isn't funny anymore," Casey growls before hanging up.

"Important?" Stavros asks, watching her.

"I'm sorry, I have to go," she says, standing. He joins her, leaning forward and kissing her before letting her go.

"It was nice meeting you," he smiles, watching her leave.

"Bela," Chuck says, meeting her outside the doors.

"Where is he?" she growls, looking around before spotting the van.

"What are you doing?" he asks, following as she pulls open the back and climbs in.

"Took your time," Casey says, turning to her before she wraps her hand around the back of his neck, pulling him to her.

Chuck clears his throat, glancing at the two before turning to Sarah.

"Happy now?" Bela asks, pulling away.

"What was that for?" Casey smirks.

"Stavros kissed me," she frowns, staring up at him.

He growls, pulling her against him again.

* * *

"Hey," Casey says, walking up behind Bela.

"Jesus," she growls, glaring at him before turning back to the TVs.

"You're watching monster trucks?" he asks.

"Favorite past time," she says, watching the vehicles.

"You did a good job last night," he says. "We're going down to the docks in a few hours to intercept the package."

"You need me to go?" she asks, turning to him.

"Uh huh, bring chicken neck with you as well, it'll be a party," he smirks, causing her to smile.

"A simple 'no' would suffice," she says, turning back to the TVs.

"No," he whispers, his lips caressing her ear.

"Okay," she sighs, nodding. He smirks, patting her on the butt before turning.

"Casey," she says, grabbing his arm as he leaves.

"Yeah?" he asks, watching her.

"Be careful," she says slowly, pausing as she realizes what she'd just said.

"Okay?" he asks, confused.

"Right... good talk," she nods, quickly turning and crossing the room to join Chuck.

* * *

"You've got to be kidding me," Bela growls, blindly reaching for her towel as she steps out of the shower.

"Looking for something?" Casey smirks, causing her to jump.

"Son of a bitch!" Bela yells, quickly wiping the water from her face before opening her eyes.

"Evening," he grins, frowning as she covers herself with her hands.

"What are you doing?" she hisses, growling as she spies the towel in his hands.

"Enjoying the show up until now," he says as she snatches the material from him.

"What are you doing?" she asks again as she pushes her hair back over her shoulders.

"Walker and I have been up all night explaining to our bosses why we were raiding a cargo freighter filled with nothing but air and a surveillance camera," he says, following her into the bedroom. "The tip Bartowski gave us was compromised, someone set us up."

"What?" she asks, pulling her underwear on. "You don't think it was Lou?"

He hands her a photo, watching her reaction.

"That was taken at the docks after their date," he says as she studies the photo of Stavros and Lou.

"Oh," she says, nodding. "Does Chuck know?"

"I trust Walker is informing him now," he nods.

"He's not going to take this well," she frowns.

"Not our problem," he shrugs.

"Not yours," she mutters, pulling some clothes from the wardrobe.

"I should let you finish dressing," he growls, pulling her against him.

"What's another interruption or two, right?" she whispers as he leans down, pressing his lips against hers.

"Ugh," she frowns, pushing him away.

"What?" he asks.

"You've been smoking," she coughs, making a face.

"A cigar," he shrugs.

"It's still disgusting," she says, shaking her head.

"Okay," he sighs. "You need a lift to work?"

"I'm not working this morning, you know that," she smirks, finishing dressing.

"Good, you can come with us then," he says, following her down the hallway.

* * *

"Okay, Chuck our Intel tells us Lou should be meeting Stavros behind the club," Casey says, handing him a watch. "Now you're mic'd."

"You guys are being paranoid, there's no way Lou's showing up here," Chuck says, glancing at Bela who smiles reassuringly at him. "And what will the sandwich police be doing on this stakeout?"

"Here we go, we've got company," Sarah says, shrinking down in her seat.

"What?" Chuck whispers, staring out the window as Lou pulls up.

"Believe us now?" Casey asks, Bela hitting him lightly on the shoulder.

"No, as a matter of fact I don't," Chuck growls, climbing out of the car.

"Be careful," Bela says, watching him go.

"You say that to everyone now?" Casey asks, glancing at her.

"Chuck, wait!" Sarah says, Casey pulling her back as she tries to exit the car. "No, damn it I'm going after him!"

"They have us on tape," he growls. "They recognize either one of us it'll blow the whole operation."

"I could-" Bela starts.

"You're staying right here, sweetheart," Casey interrupts.

"You're unbelievable," Sarah growls, glancing at him.

"Just doing my job."

Bela sits quietly in the back seat as she glances at the two agents, Sarah muttering under her breath.

"I can't hear anything, I'm going in," she says.

"No, no, give him a minute, can't go in every time he breaks a nail."

"Just cover the front," she growls, slamming the door shut as Bela climbs into the front.

"Chuck would have done something to the mic to stop Lou from incriminating herself," she explains.

"Walker should have just left it a few more minutes."

"I don't hear them, or anything," Bela frowns.

"Damn it," Casey says, climbing out of the car. "Stay here!"

"Stay in the car, don't leave," Bela mutters to herself, rolling her eyes before spotting Lou. "Oh crap!"

She quickly slides down the seat, uncomfortably positioning herself between the seat and the dash.

"Bela!" Casey growls, letting out a breath as he sees her.

"What?" she asks confused at his reaction as he jumps into the car.

"I thought you-I couldn't see you," he says, starting it up.

"I saw Lou, so I hid," she shrugs.

"Good; Walker and Bartowski are gone, and the genius left the watch with the tracking device behind."

"They're gone?" she asks urgently. "Where-what... Casey, where are they?"

"I just said he left the tracking device behind," he growls.

"Then how can we find them?" she asks.

"I know someone who can help."

* * *

"Now stay in the car and I mean it, if you even think about getting out of here I will kill you myself," Casey growls, loading his gun.

"Yes, sir," she growls back, glaring at him as he runs off.

She sighs, eyes widening as his backup arrives.

"Well this can't be good," she whispers as an agent spots her.

"Hands where I can see them!" he yells, gun aimed at her.

"Uh oh," she says as he pulls her from the vehicle.

"I'm unarmed," she says, gasping as he pulls her roughly along with him into the building.

She looks around, sighing with relief.

"Casey!" she yells, and he quickly turns to her before glaring at the man holding her.

"What the hell are you doing?" he yells, stalking over to them.

"We found her outside, figured she was with the others," the agent says.

"She one of ours, you moron," he growls, pulling her arm out of his grasp. "You brought her directly into danger."

"Sorry, Agent Casey," he apologizes, backing away as Casey turns to Bela.

"You okay?" he asks.

"I stayed in the car," she says, rubbing at her arm. He pushes up her sleeve, growling at the hand mark on her skin.

"I'm going to kill that son of a bitch-"

"Casey, no," she says, shaking her head. "He was just doing his job."

"He interfered with my job of protecting you," he growls.

"I am alive, and I am fine," she says before pausing. "Where's Chuck and Sarah?"

* * *

"Bela," Chuck nods, joining her at the Nerd Herd desk.

"Chuck," she says, smiling up at him. "So you broke up with Lou?"

"Yep," he sighs.

"'Cause you kissed Sarah," she teases, smirking as he blushes.

"I knew I shouldn't have told you that," he groans, leaning next to her.

"So you kissed her, Casey and I have done a lot mmm-"

"No-stop-no!" he says, his hand covering her mouth. "Never do I want to hear about any of that ever."

"But what are best friend's for," she says, snorting as he plants his head against the desk.

* * *

A/N: So at the end of this chapter, Sarah didn't take the shock of Bryce being alive as much as in the episode because she doesn't have feelings for him anymore. Next chapter, Bela and Chuck finally see Bryce for the first time since Stanford. It's going to make things interesting for Casey, that's for sure. And the next two chapters will be out within hours of each other just because they're going to be tied-in a lot with each other, and it'll make a lot more sense reading them one after the other. So they should be out fairly soon as they're both around halfway done. Please review!


	10. Chuck vs The Nemesis

A/N: Now this was going to be out much sooner, but I ended up waiting until we found out whether Chuck would get a third season. And we are! So as a special treat I'm posting two chapters at once, just because I'm so excited for this new season and to see all of Chuck's "new skills".

So this is the Bryce chapter. This one will reveal a lot more about Bela, most of which will be continued in the next chapter which I'm making a Bela-centric one instead of writing about Ilsa (yeah, I'm swapping the order of the next two chapters...). She'll still be there, but Bela won't. Uh, I'll explain more at the start of the next chapter but let's get started with this one. Please review, guys.

* * *

"Why do you have to go to a training session on Thanksgiving?" Casey asks, leading Bela out of the elevator.

"To prepare us for Black Friday... Words cannot describe how much I loathe Black Friday," she groans, glancing up at him. "What are we doing here, anyway?"

"Bela," Chuck sighs, immediately joining her at the door.

"Chuck," she says, raising an eyebrow at his concerned expression. "What?"

"Bryce," he says slowly, glancing at the glass before back at her. "He's not dead."

"No," she laughs nervously, shaking her head. "No, Chuck, he's dead."

Chuck watches her, resting a hand on her back as she looks up at him.

"He's dead," she says again. "I went to his funeral."

Chuck takes her hand, pulling her lightly over to where Casey and Sarah stood.

"Bryce," Bela whispers, staring through the glass.

"What's with her?" Casey asks but they ignore him.

"How is this possible?" she asks.

"We don't know, he won't talk to our people," Sarah says.

"He hasn't seen either of us," Casey adds, glancing at Bela who didn't take her eyes off of Bryce.

"Why?" Chuck asks, confused.

"Because he asked for you," Sarah says.

"We want to know what happened to him, we think he'll talk to you," Casey says.

"Wait a minute, hold on a second-you want me to go in there and ask him what, exactly?" Chuck asks. "Hey Bryce, why did you send me the intersect? Why did you choose my life to ruin? Guess what buddy, your ex girlfriend also has it in her head? How exactly do I start that conversation?"

"Girlfriend?" Casey asks, Bela still not moving.

"Just talk to him, okay?" Sarah says. "Be a friend, you're good at that."

"Fine," Chuck sighs, Casey leading him to the door.

"Bela, how're you doing?" Sarah asks, resting her hand on Bela's arm.

"I can't believe he's alive," she whispers, shaking her head.

"It's a shock to all of us, I'm sorry you had to find out this way."

"No, I'm good," she says, clearing her throat as they watch Chuck.

"So, girlfriend?" Casey asks, joining them as Chuck walks up to the glass.

"Shh," Sarah says, nodding to the window.

"Natural born interrogator, huh?" Casey smirks after Chuck asks to leave the room.

"Oh, God," Bela snorts, turning away as Bryce and Chuck talk in Klingon.

"What the hell?" Casey asks, glancing at her.

"Bryce trusts him now," Bela nods, taking a seat as the two agents watch through the glass.

"I'm still waiting for an answer," Casey growls, turning to her. "Girlfriend?"

She stares up at him, opening and closing her mouth as she thinks.

"Casey," Sarah interrupts, nodding at the glass.

"Oh, don't do that," he says as Chuck leans towards Bryce, Bela quickly moving to her feet.

"Damn it," Sarah growls, pulling out her gun as the door opens. Sarah and Casey rush in, weapons trained on Bryce who held a syringe against Chuck.

"Hello Casey. Care to try again?" Bryce asks, Bela walking in behind them.

He pauses when he sees her, his eyes widening in confusion before moving down her form.

"Bells," he grins, both Sarah and Casey raising an eyebrow at the name.

"Bryce," she says, unconsciously smiling back.

"Bela stay behind me," Casey orders, stopping her in her steps.

"She's not in any danger," Bryce says as he continues to watch her. "What are you doing here?"

"Intersect," she says, pointing to her head.

"What?" he growls, his grip on Chuck tightening. "You showed her the email?"

"She saw it the same time I did," he explains uneasily.

"You're-God, Bells I can't believe it," he sighs. "I'm sorry-"

"Alright, you've had your little reunion let's get back to business," Casey growls, gun still trained on Bryce.

"Get out of the way," Bryce says, moving towards the door. The agents back out slowly, Casey pulling Bela with him.

"Stay here," he orders as Bryce pulls Chuck with him out into the hallway.

"Stand down, don't do this Bryce!" Sarah yells, following them down the hallway. "We're all on the same side here."

"What side is that?" he asks.

"I've got a shot," Casey says.

"No, you don't!" Chuck yells.

"You'll be fine."

"Bells, get the lift sweetheart?" Bryce asks, Casey growling as he reluctantly lets her past.

"Told you to stay back in the room," he hisses as she passes him.

"The access code!" Bryce yells, still holding Chuck as Bela stands next to the keypad. "I'll kill him, Sarah!"

"Between you and me, I think he means it!" Chuck gasps, Bela staring at them nervously.

"Five, one, six, zero, two," Sarah says, Bela quickly punching in the numbers.

"Sarah!" Chuck cries as the elevator doors close, Bryce releasing him as he turns to Bela.

"Wow," he smiles. "You look great."

"Bryce," she sighs, staring up at him.

"Bryce!" Chuck yells, the two turning to look at him.

"You knew I wouldn't do it, right?" he smirks, patting him on the back.

"No, no I did not know that, how would I know that Bryce?" he yells.

"What are you trying to do?" Bela asks.

"What is Sarah doing here?" he asks confused.

"Your ex girlfriend is protecting us," she says watching for a reaction.

"Ex-girlfriend? Bells it was just a bit of fun," he says, moving closer to her.

"She's protecting us, and so is Casey okay? We're the good guys," Chuck interrupts. "Look you need to stop this, right now before someone-namely Bela or me-gets hurt."

"It's too soon... we're slowing down," Bryce says, watching the keypad.

"We're gonna have to do the whole thing," Chuck sighs, Bryce nodding as he grabs him around the neck again.

"You stop this elevator again and-" Bryce starts before pausing.

"Bryce," the man says. "Who are your friends?"

Bela leans heavily against the back wall as she flashes on the man.

"You step back," Bryce growls.

"Okay, I wouldn't want you to kill some random person I'd feel just terrible," he deadpans.

"Tell your people that I'm gone," Bryce says, Bela glancing up at him.

"This is your chance, Bryce, this is me being reasonable," he says. "Let's go, let's be friends again."

"We were never friends."

"Ouch, now my feelings are hurt," he says. "You're gonna run, aren't you?"

Bryce smirks, nodding.

"Good," the man says as the doors close, Bryce releasing Chuck again.

"Who was that?" Chuck asks, catching his breath.

"Nobody," Bryce whispers.

"What's Fulcrum?" Bela asks.

"Where did you hear that?" he asks, turning to her.

"The intersect," she says, pointing to her head again. "We have these flashes."

"I was right," Bryce grins, moving towards her. "You can remember its Intel... is it always that fast?"

"What is Fulcrum, Bryce?" Chuck asks. "Who are they and how do they know you?"

Bryce ignores him as he pulls the alarm.

"This is my stop."

"No, no, no, no wait, I have questions, I have millions of questions," Chuck says, Bela staring at Bryce apprehensively.

"Chuck," Bryce says, resting his hand on his shoulder. "This is gonna sting a little."

He jabs a needle into Chuck's arm, releasing the drug.

"Bryce!" Bela yells, staring at him wide eyed before he turns to her. "Wait, wait, no you don't have anymore-what are you going to do to me?"

"It was great seeing you again, sweetheart," he whispers before pulling himself through the hatch in the top of the elevator.

"Bryce!" she yells, growling before kneeling next to Chuck. She looks up as the doors open, Casey and Sarah lowering their weapons.

"Chuck, hey, Chuck," Sarah says, shaking him gently as Casey pulls Bela up by the arm.

"You and me need to talk," he growls, pulling her with him.

"Um, Sarah?" Bela asks, glancing behind her as Chuck slowly sits up.

"Sorry," Sarah apologizes, watching them go before turning back to Chuck.

"Can you loosen your grip there, Butch?" Bela growls, sighing as Casey releases her arm. "Thanks."

He says nothing as they reach his car, both climbing in silently before he pauses.

"Tell me everything," he says, starting up the vehicle.

"Everything as in...?" she says quietly.

"_Everything_, Bela," he growls.

"Um, okay," she says, clearing her throat. "Um, Bryce-Bryce and me we dated at Stanford-"

"You don't say," Casey mutters, rolling his eyes.

"Fine, you want the details, Casey? Here you go," she snaps. "I met Bryce in college, he was _incredible_ and we came very close to getting married. Is that what you want to hear?"

"Married," Casey nods, silencing her.

"Yeah," she sighs. "And then everything happened with Chuck, and those plans fell through."

"He got you a ring?" he asks, causing her to frown.

"Of course," she nods, confused.

"So you still have it?"

"It's at my dad's."

"Okay," he nods.

"Bryce was a long time ago," she says quietly as she stares out the window. "Seeing him again, it brought back a lot of memories and feelings I thought I'd let go at his funeral, but, now I don't know."

"We still have a cover to keep," Casey says as he pulls up outside her apartment.

"Tomorrow I have to go into work, and then Ellie has her Thanksgiving dinner that you can come to?" she asks, glancing over at him. "Sarah's going too, of course."

"Do you want me to pick you up, or-?"

"I'll meet you at your apartment," she says, leaning over and kissing him. "Night."

He nods, watching her leave.

* * *

"Black Friday comes down to us; crowd control, okay? Little test here," Morgan says over the loudspeaker. "Jeff, emergency in sector two, move!"

Chuck and Bela watch with amusement from behind the Nerd Herd desk as Jeff runs off in a panic.

"Lester, converge on Jeff's position, sector one move now go!" he yells again, Lester staring at him bored as he slowly moves. "People's lives are at stake here, man... good hustle, Lester."

"Now Anna, we cannot lose the doors, okay? If we lose the doors we've lost the battle, got it?" he asks as Anna nods. "You look beautiful today by the way... Chuck and Bela!"

"Yes, Morgan, yes we're right here," Chuck says, looking up from his seat.

"Hey, guys, yeah listen everybody's moving way too slow, they don't shape up-if we lose control of the store, we are gonna have a _pineapple_ situation."

"What's a _pineapple_ situation?" Lester asks, leaning on the back of Bela's chair.

"Never say that word!" Morgan snaps.

"You just-"

"It's a black swan," Bela explains. "It's an impossible event that changes everything."

"In case something terrible happens," Morgan adds. "Nuclear strike, earthquake-any one of you could initiate a full Buy More evacuation by uttering one word."

"Pineapple," Chuck says.

"The word that cannot be spoken," Morgan sighs.

"I really just want to say pineapple a few times," Lester says. "Pineapple, pineapple, pineapple."

"Pineapples are fun, my dad used to throw them at me," Jeff says, Bela slowly turning to look at him.

"Seriously, wow," Morgan says as Chuck's phone rings. "What's the matter, who is it?"

"Oh, it's Ellie she's in Thanksgiving panic mode I gotta stop by the store," Chuck says, glancing over at Bela.

"And you need me to drive, awesome," she says, standing up.

"See you kids later," he says, following Bela out of the store.

"Oh you gotta be kidding me guys, where are you going?" Morgan yells, picking up the speaker phone. "What about Black Friday?"

* * *

"Chuck, get ready for some Turkey," Devon says as Chuck walks into the apartment, carrying the shopping before pausing as he sees Casey.

"What are you doing here?"

"Well your sister invited me to dinner, and I got tired of waiting for Bela," he says.

"Waiting for-Bela invited you, too?"

"Bela and John are dating, why didn't you tell me, Chuck?" Ellie asks, smiling at the two.

"Must have slipped my mind," he says slowly as Ellie takes the bags from him.

"You find everything?" she asks.

"Uh yeah, I did and uh, Bela's just getting changed and will be right over," he says, turning back to Casey. "Hey, hey, I have a question for you, um what do you think Bryce meant when he said 'Casey, care to try again?', 'cause call me crazy but I got the weirdest feeling like it was you who killed him."

"Good guess," Casey smirks.

"Are you s-does Bela know that?" Chuck asks.

"'Course not," he shrugs. "She doesn't tell me everything so I don't tell her everything."

"That-that's great," Chuck says slowly. "Why would you do that, why would you kill Bryce?"

"Orders," he says simply before explaining. "Your old nemesis is a very dangerous human being, Chuck. You get a chance to shoot Bryce Larkin you shoot to kill."

"Guys, no shop talk tonight we got a bird to eat," Devon says from the kitchen. "Hey John, can you help me stuff this monster?"

"Cosmo?" Casey asks as he hands Chuck his drink.

"Thank you, John," Ellie smiles as she joins Chuck. "He's so sweet."

"Like honey," Chuck grimaces. "Uh sis, Morgan is bringing somebody tonight."

"A real someone or an imaginary someone?" she asks sceptically.

"Uh, real actually, very real and she's very nice and um-"

"She?" Ellie asks. "You said she."

"Yes," he nods. "Yes, Anna; Morgan's girlfriend. There could be a little issue though because she knows about you and Morgan."

"What are you talking about?" she asks confused as the doorbell rings.

"Just remember, it's not my fault," Chuck says before moving to the door. "Ah, hello Sarah and my other friends, welcome to Thanksgiving."

"Oh, thank you they're beautiful," Ellie smiles as Sarah hands her flowers.

"You're welcome."

"Devon's inside," she smiles as Sarah walks into the kitchen.

"Ellie, so this is Anna my uh-" Morgan starts.

"Girlfriend," Anna says. "And this is my green bean casserole. Try not to drop it."

Ellie smiles awkwardly as Anna hands her the dish.

"It's good to meet you; finally," Anna says.

"Yeah, yeah Chuck just told me about you and Morgan," she smiles. "I'm so happy."

"Hussy," Anna mutters before taking the drink from Ellie's hand while walking past her.

Ellie exchanges looks with Chuck before glancing outside.

"Bela!" Ellie grins as Chuck goes to shut the door.

"Bela?" he asks confused before noticing her in the doorway.

"Hi," Bela says, smiling at the two. "Sorry I'm late, uh, I brought wine."

"You're just in time, everyone just got here," Ellie says, taking the bottle from her. "Wow, thank you, Bela this is great."

"You don't drink wine," Chuck whispers in her ear as she closes the door behind her.

"That's why I brought it here," she smirks, Casey walking over to her as he glances down at her black dress.

"You look great, sweetheart," he says, kissing her softly before whispering in her ear. "Cover."

"Of course," she nods, smiling as she reaches up and straightens his tie.

"This is an uncomfortable moment for me," Chuck says, moving away from the two.

"Did you meet at work?" Ellie asks, handing Bela a glass of wine.

"And when he moved in next to you guys," Bela nods as Casey rests a hand on her back. "But it was mainly work."

"You guys are dating?" Morgan asks, both Anna and him staring at the two.

"We've been keeping it quiet," Casey says.

"They're inseparable, really," Chuck teases.

"Awesome," Devon says, nodding at the two from the kitchen. "Bela's a real catch; you're a lucky man John."

"Wow, who needs brother's when I have you guys," Bela says, blushing lightly.

"You two look so adorable," Ellie smiles before moving into the kitchen.

"Adorable," Chuck snorts.

"Shut up," Bela smirks, setting down her glass.

"You're not drinking?" Casey asks, surprised.

"Not a fan of wine," she says, watching as he moves into the kitchen and muttering something to Devon.

He comes back a moment later with two glasses filled with beer.

"Oh, you are amazing," she grins, taking a glass from him. He smirks as she leans up and kisses him before taking a sip.

* * *

"I am in Heaven," Devon says, taking another mouthful of dinner.

"This is so good," Sarah agrees.

"Do you usually do Thanksgiving?" Chuck asks her.

"Uh, not recently," she says.

"Okay, you know what?" Morgan says. "For my second plate I need critical side dish number two."

"There you go," Devon says, handing him the sweet potatoes.

"Thank you," he grins before staring down at the bowl. "There's no marshmallows on my sweet potatoes."

"It's Morgan's favorite number two side dish," Anna growls.

"I'm sorry, I must have forgotten," Ellie says slowly.

"Thanksgiving is ruined," Anna sighs.

"No, no wait that's my bad 'cause I did pick 'em up, they're in Bela's car," Chuck says, Bela quickly standing as she gets him her keys.

"They must be in the back or something," she shrugs as he takes the keys from her.

"I'll be right back," he says.

"Don't be too long," Ellie says as Bela takes her seat between Sarah and Devon.

"How's everything, good?" Morgan asks Anna.

"Good," she says, glaring at Ellie.

* * *

"Marshmallows," Chuck sighs to himself, walking back from Bela's car.

"Hello, Chuck," Bryce says, joining him in the courtyard.

"Sarah and Casey are right inside, one girlish scream from me and they go into combat mode," he says nervously.

"Relax," Bryce laughs. "This your place?"

"Ellie and I live here, yeah."

"You live with your sister?" he asks, Chuck's eyes widening. "What happened? Chuck, what happened to you? Guy who wanted to be the software billionaire-Bill Gates with style."

"You got me kicked out of Stanford, Bryce," he growls.

"I need to talk to Bela, can you bring her to me?" he asks. "Without Sarah or Casey."

"Why would I help you?" Chuck asks.

"Do it for her, then," he pleads. "I just want to talk to her."

He stares at him before sighing, gesturing to his bedroom window.

"Wait for her in my room, I'll let her know you're waiting as soon as I can," he sighs.

"Thanks, Chuck," he says, patting him on the shoulder before jogging over to the window.

"Thank God, the marshmallows," Devon says as Chuck walks in.

"Thank you," Ellie says, taking the bags from him as he sits down.

"I made this for you," Anna smiles, pushing the bean casserole towards Morgan.

"Thank you," he says, piling it onto his plate.

"Everything okay?" Sarah asks, looking over at Chuck.

"Yeah, everything is great," he answers before glancing at Bela.

"Do you like it?" Anna asks as Morgan takes a mouthful of the dish.

"Mhmm, devastating-devastatingly good," he mumbles.

"Does anyone else want some?" she asks, everyone shaking their head as Casey reaches for the salt.

"Nice and tight John, I'm impressed," Devon says, grabbing Casey's bicep. "You work out?"

Casey glances at Bela trying to hide her laughter before turning back to him.

"Yeah, work keeps me in shape," he answers. Chuck watches the two engage in conversation before kicking Bela lightly under the table.

"Bryce Larkin is in my bedroom," he mouths, making sure Sarah didn't notice. She stares at him, setting her cutlery back down on her plate.

"Excuse me," she says, leaving the table. She quickly walks down the hallway, flicking the light on in Chuck's bedroom as she enters.

"Son of a bitch!" she hisses as Bryce lands behind her.

"Still got that trucker's mouth," he smirks, shutting the door before running his eyes over her dress. "Bells."

"Please don't call me that," she whispers, shaking her head. He steps towards her, reaching his arm out before pulling her against him. She bites her lip, resting her palm flat against his chest.

"You used to love me calling you that," he says.

"That was a long time ago."

"I never meant for you to get involved in all of this. I'd never want you in this amount of danger, even after you dumped my ass," he jokes, feeling her laugh against him.

"You should have told me," she whispers, pulling away.

"I couldn't," he says, brushing a hand through her hair. "No matter how much I wanted to tell you, I couldn't."

"You told them I was pregnant," she remembers, hitting him lightly in the chest. He chuckles as he takes her hand, pulling her closer.

"I would have said anything to keep them away from you," he whispers. "But they still got to you in the end."

"Because of you, you sent Chuck that information," she says.

"I didn't think you were still friends with him, hell I imagined you were married with a couple of kids by now."

"No you didn't!" she laughs. "Not if you really knew me."

"That's true," he says, laughing lightly. "There's only one person I imagined you married to with kids, and I bet you do the same at times."

"Why do you think that?" she asks slowly.

"Because Bells, you're still in love with me," he whispers, stepping closer to her. He cups her face, capturing her lips with his. She responds instantly, curling a hand around the back of his neck.

"I've missed you so much," he sighs, sliding his hand up the back her dress.

"Bryce," she moans, gripping his shoulders.

"I still love you, Bells," he whispers, his hand moving up her bare back. She wraps both arms around his neck, moving closer against him as their kisses become more urgent.

"Oh God, I've missed you," she whimpers as he kisses down her neck. "Bryce!"

She gasps as he slides one of the straps of her dress down, kissing her shoulder before she takes his head in her hands, bringing his face back up to hers.

"Still so controlling," he chuckles before kissing her again, smiling against her lips.

"Bryce," she gasps as they pull apart, resting her hand against his cheek.

"You're still something," he grins, kissing her on the forehead.

They both jump at the sound of the door handle turning.

"Please don't leave," she whispers.

He kisses her quickly before she turns to block the door.

"Casey, everything is okay!" Bela yells, Bryce climbing out the window behind her. Casey growls, pushing past her as Sarah joins them.

"What were you doing?" Sarah asks, Bela scratching the back of her neck nervously.

"Uh..." she says slowly, Sarah noticing her smudged lipstick and flushed expression.

"Never mind," she smiles as Chuck rushes in.

"Hey, no guns at Thanksgiving," he hisses before glancing at Bela. "Your lipstick is everywhere."

She growls, grabbing one of Chuck's shirts to wipe it off.

"I deserve that," he nods as she pushes past him to climb out the window.

"Why didn't you just let them be?" Sarah asks softly, resting her hand on his arm.

"She's my best friend, and who knows what Bryce would have done!" he says.

"You saw them kissing, didn't you," Sarah sighs.

"Look, I haven't seen them together since college," he says. "It brought back a lot of memories, I didn't know what to do; I thought I was protecting her."

"Well you weren't," Bela calls from outside.

"Message received," he says, helping Sarah out the window before following.

"He's gone, call it in from my place I'll check the back," Casey says, handing Sarah his keys.

They make their way to his apartment, Bela ignoring Chuck completely.

"Sarah, why is someone in Casey's apartment?" Chuck asks, noticing the lights turning on.

"Shh," Sarah says to both of them, slipping off her shoes as she unlocks the door. She slowly pushes it open, seeing Bryce at the computer.

Bela gasps as she sees Sarah reaching for her gun, Bryce quickly spinning and raising his gun towards them.

"Put it down, Bryce," she orders.

"Sarah," Bela says, glancing between the two.

"Close the door, Chuck," he says.

"Okay, okay, okay, okay," Chuck stutters. "I'm closing the door, I'm closing the door and walking into the apartment please do not shoot me."

"I need you to listen to me," Bryce says slowly as Chuck stands behind Sarah.

"Just put it down," she says, Bela running a hand through her hair nervously as she watches them.

"The intersect was a mission, I was recruited by an outfit called Fulcrum," he explains. "A special access group inside the CIA."

"You're lying, we would know that," Sarah growls.

"They knew who I was, my activation codes, my record," he continues. "They ordered me to shed my agency contacts and go deep; only then did I realise it was an internal strike, to download and destroy the intersect. Fulcrum had plans for its Intel."

"How can I trust you, Bryce?" Sarah asks, shaking her head.

"You can trust him," Bela says, walking over to him as he lowers his weapon.

"Why Chuck?" Sarah asks.

"Yeah, why Chuck?" Chuck says.

"I needed a friend who wasn't a spy, he wouldn't know anything about Fulcrum, or the intersect, or sand wall."

Bryce quickly grabs Bela's arm as she begins to sway before staring up at him.

"Sand wall was the name of the mission," Bela says.

"Sarah, I think he's telling the truth," Chuck adds.

"You both flashed?" she asks as they nod.

"I'm not rogue," Bryce says.

Bela lets out a breath as Sarah lowers her weapon, the front door quickly opening as Casey walks in.

"Casey, no!" they yell as he shoots Bryce in the chest, sending him flying across the floor.

"Bryce!" Bela cries as she kneels next to him, Sarah leaning over Chuck who'd just fainted.

"Chuck?" she asks, slapping him lightly on the face. "Chuck, are you alright?"

"Hmm?" he asks, sitting up slowly as he glances over at Bela on the floor next to Bryce.

"Did you hit your head?" Sarah asks, leaning him forward slightly as she runs a hand over the back of his head.

"I'm fine," he says, smiling up at her before turning back to Bela and Bryce.

"Bryce?" Bela whispers, unbuttoning his shirt before resting a hand on the bulletproof vest.

He coughs, staring up at her as he comes to.

"Time to finish the job," Casey growls as he kneels next to them.

"Casey, no they both flashed, he isn't rogue," Sarah explains as she helps Chuck to his feet.

"You should aim for the head next time, Casey," Bryce smirks before he pulls him up roughly, Bela following them closely.

"This is interesting," Chuck nods, watching the three as Sarah runs a hand across the back of his head again.

"You're sure you're okay?" she asks, Chuck nodding as he smiles at her protectiveness.

"Sarah, I'm fine," he says and she blushes slightly as she realises her actions.

"Here," Bela says, helping Bryce with his shirt.

"Thanks, Bells," he smiles, both ignoring the looks they were receiving.

"Jesus," she whispers, running a hand across the scar tissue from his last bullet.

"Occupational hazard," he says, flashing her a grin.

"I don't get it, Bryce how are you alive?" Chuck asks, interrupting the two.

"I don't know how they did it if that's what you're asking," he says as Bela hands him a t shirt. "Probably used one of the European clinics, I don't remember it."

"But you know why they did it," Sarah says.

"Yeah," he nods.

"Well should I pop some popcorn or beat the answer out of ya," Casey says, Bela turning to glare at him. "Problem, sweetheart?"

"No thanks, I'll talk," Bryce says, glancing between Bela and Casey before grabbing her hand and pulling her closer.

"Darn it," Casey growls, setting his gun back down.

"You know the first part already," he explains. "I downloaded the intersect Intel and blew up the computer, raced out of the DNI; then I ran into you, Casey."

"What?" Bela asks, confused as Casey shoots Bryce a smug look.

"So I'm on the ground, no white light just Casey staring down at me," he continues. "And then, they brought me back but they weren't trying to save me no this was a Fulcrum team; they wanted something."

"You shot him?" Bela growls as she moves next to Casey.

"I hadn't mentioned that?" he smirks.

"No," she growls

"Guess we both forgot to mention things to each other," he says and she just glares at him before turning back to the others.

"Fulcrum thinks you're the intersect?" Chuck asks.

"They brought me back to take it out of me," he nods. "That's why I need your help."

"We're gonna help you?" Casey asks sceptically.

"I need to turn myself in to the CIA but Fulcrum has operatives in every agency," he says. "I need to know I'm being handed over to the real CIA."

"We can do that," Bela nods as she stares at Chuck. "We can do that, we can be there at the transfer and if we flash on who they send, they're Fulcrum if not... you're on your way home."

"That should work," Sarah agrees.

"We still need a place where the transfer can go down, public place, lot of people," Casey adds.

"Public spot, lots of witnesses," Chuck says slowly. "I know a place."

* * *

"Excuse me, miss," Bryce says, walking over to a panicked Bela in the Buy More. "I was wondering if you could help me."

"Funny," she laughs, clenching her fists nervously.

"I forgot how much you hate crowds," he smirks as they stare at a television set.

"I don't hate them, they just unnerve me," she explains, looking up as Morgan stops to stare at the two.

"Do I know you?" Bryce asks him.

"Wow, dude I'm sorry man, you look just like this guy my friend's used to go to Stanford with," he says, nodding at Bela. "Doesn't he?"

Bela's eyes widen as she glances back at Bryce.

"Sorry, I went to Penn," he shrugs. "Um, I'll take it as a compliment."

"Well you shouldn't, actually 'cause this guy Bryce was a real douche," Morgan continues as Bela rolls her eyes. "You know, he got my buddy Chuck kicked out of Stanford, it ruined his life and this girl here, he broke her heart so you know he wasn't the nicest guy in the world."

"O-kay, Morgan bye," Bela says quickly as Anna thankfully drags him away.

"Broke your heart?" Bryce asks frowning.

"You already knew that," she says quietly as she glances over at Chuck.

"The CIA pickup is here, guys do your pass," Sarah says into her watch.

"Excuse me, sir," Bela says, smiling at Bryce as she moves closer to the entrance.

"Hi, welcome to Buy More," Chuck says as he smiles at the two men walking past him.

"Nothing, no flashes," Bela says into her watch.

"The CIA guys, they're legit," Chuck agrees.

"Excuse me, can I help you?" Bela asks as she stands next to Sarah, the two watching Bryce and Chuck.

"You don't like crowds?" she asks, amused.

"You heard that, huh," she smiles.

"I'm gonna have to take him in now," Sarah says, glancing at her.

"I know," she sighs as they join Chuck and Bryce.

"Ready?" Sarah asks as he stares down at Bela.

"See you, Bells," he smiles, brushing her hair back before following Sarah over to the agents waiting with Casey.

"You okay?" Chuck asks her.

"Excellent," she deadpans, glancing up at him. "I'll live, if I can just get out of this crowd-I'm going to the desk."

"No problem," he laughs, following her.

"Excuse me, can I get some service?" a man asks them, both recognizing him as the man from the elevator. "Charles and Isabela, aren't you? We met the other day."

Bela glances at Chuck before turning back to the man.

"Did we?" she asks. "So uh, how can we help you?"

"I'm looking for a computer, you might be familiar with this one it's called the intersect?" he asks.

"I-I'm sorry we don't-"

"You don't seem to understand the situation, Isabela," he says, her muscles tensing as he continues to use her full name. "You think that all these witnesses are a guarantee that nothing is going to happen to either of you? You couldn't be more wrong."

"Um, we are so slammed right now so we should probably get back to work," Chuck says, resting his hand on Bela's back.

"My team reacquired Bryce Larkin and Sarah Walker five minutes ago. I have seven trained killers throughout the store," he says before nodding over at Casey. "If you look over there, you can also see that my men have neutralized Mr. Casey. So here's the thing, guys; nothing stops me from fulfilling my orders. Innocents, civilians, if you make me I'll execute every last person in this place."

"Okay," Bela nods, moving out from behind the desk with Chuck close behind. "Whatever you want."

"That's more like it," he nods. "We're leaving, so straight to the exit don't even think of trying anything."

"Chuck, the registers are down I can't get them back up," Jeff says as he stops them. "What should I do?"

"You say more than one word and I'll kill him right here," the man whispers behind them. Chuck glances at Bela before nodding.

"Pineapple," Bela says, causing Jeff's face to light up before he runs off.

"Let's go," he growls, pushing her along.

They pause as Morgan picks up the loudspeaker, Bela and Chuck exchanging amused looks as Anna pulls the fire alarm causing people to run out in a panic.

"Oh!" Bela gasps as Casey throws her over his shoulder, pulling Chuck roughly along with him into the home theatre room.

"Code Black, hostiles in the Buy More," Casey says into his phone. "I need a containment team right away."

"Are you kidding me, some kid could find this!" Chuck says in disbelief as Casey pulls weapons out of the table.

"Stay down," Casey orders. "This is when the shooting starts."

"Right-right now?" Chuck asks before both Bela and him fall to the floor.

"Wow," Bela gasps, gripping Chuck's arm tightly as a bullet shatters the window.

"Wow-ow!" Chuck says as he pulls his arm away from her.

"You're such a baby-holy crap!" she cries again as they continue to be shot at.

"Ahhhaha!" Chuck yells before gripping Bela's arm.

"Are you kidding me?" she asks before peeking out from the couch as the gunshots cease. "Bryce."

"Huh?" Chuck asks, moving to look as well. "Sarah!"

They continue to watch the two fight until Casey pulls them up and out the door before being knocked out along with Chuck.

"No!" Bela gasps as Tommy holds a gun to her head, pulling her along with him.

"Let her go, now," Bryce orders, Sarah looking around for Chuck as they keep their guns raised.

"Does this look like my first time?" Tommy asks.

"Isn't it someone else's turn to be the human shield?" Bela asks nervously, Bryce taking an urgent step towards her.

"Stay there, Bryce!" Tommy growls.

"You alright, Bells?" he asks.

"Does it look like I'm alright?"

"I need to ask you something," Bryce says, staring into her eyes.

"Shoot," she says before glancing at Tommy. "Not you, please."

Bryce says something in Klingon, Bela answering before biting her lip.

"Sorry, babe," he apologizes before aiming and shooting her in the chest. Sarah gasps as Bela falls to the floor.

"Hi," Casey says, knocking Tommy out before both Chuck and him freeze at the sight of Bela.

"What the hell did you do?" he growls.

"Bryce, what did you do?" Chuck yells as Bryce kneels next to her, pulling open her shirt and inspecting her vest.

"What the hell-" Casey starts but Sarah nods for him to stay back.

"Come on, Bells, wake up," Bryce says, brushing her hair out of her face as he slaps her cheek lightly.

She gasps, coughing as she comes to.

Casey continues to glare at Bryce, unimpressed.

"Son of a bitch," she coughs as he helps her up. "You shot me."

"You saw it coming," he grins, kissing her forehead as she leans against him for support.

He begins to take off the vest before Casey growls, pushing him out of the way.

"I'll take it from here, Larkin," he says.

"I got it, Casey," he says, his hand sliding across Bela's stomach and causing her to shiver.

"Get your hand off of-"

"Okay!" Sarah interrupts, pushing them both aside. "I'll do it, alright?"

They both glare at each other as Sarah helps Bela remove the vest, leaving her standing in her bra as a group of firemen rush in.

"What the-" one says before Casey nods for them to continue.

"That was awkward," Bela says as Bryce gives her his shirt, helping her pull it on.

"I'll be back in a minute," he whispers, nodding to Sarah as he moves into the theatre room.

"You okay?" Casey asks, resting a hand on her back.

"Fine," Bela says, leaning against the desk.

"Come over tonight, we need to talk," he says, waiting for her to nod before leaving.

"You're in trouble," Chuck smirks, quickly turning at the look she gives him.

"You all set?" Sarah asks as Bryce joins them.

"I'm good," he nods, moving next to Bela. "So you gonna spend one last night with me? Old times' sake?"

She lets out a laugh, shaking her head in disbelief.

"Uh I have to meet Casey first, but wait for me at my apartment," she whispers as Sarah and Chuck move away.

"Sure thing," he nods, smiling down at her as they all walk out.

* * *

"Casey," Bela sighs as he opens the door.

"So I think we need to work on our cover," he says, letting her in.

"Because you don't trust me," she says, taking a seat on one of the stools in the kitchen.

"Because you've kissed Larkin how many times in the past 48 hours?" he yells. "Not to mention letting the man shoot you!"

She tenses, immediately standing up.

"I can't do this, Casey," she growls, walking past him to the door.

"Where are you going?" he sighs.

"Home."

"Fine, see you tomorrow sunshine," he chuckles as she slams the door shut behind her.

She takes a few deep breaths before walking over to Chuck's window and knocking.

"Chuck," Bela whispers as he opens it, staring out.

"Hey, hey what's wrong?" he asks, Sarah moving to look out as well.

"I-I'm sorry I didn't know you were there," she says to her.

"It's fine," Sarah says. "We were just discussing the mission."

"You coming over?" Chuck asks. "We have leftovers, lots of leftovers in fact and Morgan is coming over soon, too."

"Actually, I was wondering if the two of you could come over for a few minutes?" Bela asks slowly.

"Sure," Chuck says, exchanging worried looks with Sarah. "Everything okay?"

"Just please come," she sighs, leaving the two alone before making her way to her apartment.

"There she is," Bryce beams, causing her to jump as she enters her apartment.

"Hey, what's wrong?" he asks, noticing her expression. She runs a hand through her hair, scrunching her face up as she fights back tears.

"Bells," he whispers, pulling her into her arms.

"I can't do this," she sobs, letting the tears run as Chuck and Sarah let themselves in.

"Bela," Chuck says, quickly rushing over. "Hey, what happened?"

"I'm sorry, Chuck. I thought I could do this but I can't," she sniffs, Bryce still keeping an arm securely around her waist.

"Sure you can, you do a better job at this than me," he jokes, getting a small smile from her.

"I want to go home," she says, Chuck and Bryce exchanging glances at this.

"You-you are home," Sarah says confused.

"No," Chuck says, shaking his head. "She means _home_, in Colorado."

"With her dad," Bryce nods, moving Bela to the couch. "I think today's just hit her."

"I need to see him," she says, staring up at him. "Please."

"Sarah?" Bryce asks.

"Absolutely not, we can't just let her go like that," she frowns.

"I'll take her there myself, stay with her and bring her back, all in one piece," Bryce continues. "Come on, I had to shoot her today you need to give her a break."

"Beckman would never allow it," Sarah frowns.

"Cover for her, you can both do that right?" Bryce asks, glancing at Chuck.

"Casey may be angry but he'd rather lie his ass off than get her in trouble," Chuck says, Bryce raising an eyebrow at this before turning to Sarah.

"You can trust me with the intersect," Bryce says, smiling down at Bela. "I'll get her home safe."

"Bryce, I don't know," Sarah says, frowning. "What if someone's following you?"

"They won't. I swear I won't let anything happen to her, and I'll make sure she calls you."

"Please?" Bela asks, standing up. "Sarah, please. One week is all I want."

"Fine," she sighs, pulling Bela into a hug.

"Fine?" Chuck asks. Bela smiles and wraps her arms around him.

"One week," she says. "You won't even notice I'm gone."

"Ha," he says, grinning as they part. "I doubt that."

"Morgan will look after your nerdy needs," she jokes, Bryce interrupting the two.

"Ready, Bells?" he asks, resting a hand on her back.

"I need to pack," she says, moving into her bedroom.

"Of course you wouldn't be packed yet," Bryce sighs as he follows her.

"I thought she didn't like being called Bells?" Sarah asks, turning to Chuck.

"It was her nickname in college, Bryce and me called her it all the time," he explains. "And then when she moved here, it was a sore spot for her. I'd try not to call her Bells but sometimes I'd forget."

"It made her think of Bryce," Sarah nods.

"You sure she'll be safe with him?" Chuck asks.

"The only other choice is Casey, and I'm not going to do that to her, especially after the day she's had," Sarah explains. "And if I go, _you'll _be left with him. She'll be alright, okay?"

"It's not her I'm worried about, we're the ones that have to tell Casey," he says, Sarah frowning at this.

"Damn it," she sighs before biting her lip. "I'm sure it can wait until tomorrow."

"Most definitely," Chuck agrees.

* * *

A/N: Yeah, I changed the ending a bit... or, a lot but what the hell, why not. It sets up the next chapter nicely which will not include any (recent) Chuck, Sarah, or Casey. Chuck will be there, in flashbacks, as will Bryce and Bela. But we'll also have Bela, Bryce and Bela's father. Confused yet? Please review!


	11. Chuck vs The Undercover Lover

A/N: Like I said, this chapter is out straight after the last one because they tie in to each other a lot.

Instead of this chapter being _vs the Crown Vic_, it's going to be _vs the Undercover Lover_. But it's going to be switching between flashbacks of Bela, Chuck and Bryce at Stanford, and Bela in the now, either with Bryce or at home with her dad. So Ilsa still happened, but Bela isn't there, she's back home for the duration that Ilsa was with the other agents. Taking the easy way out of writing and uncomfortable Bela/Casey/Ilsa chapter, but now we get a look at what makes Bela the way she is, and how much of a relationship she had with Bryce at Stanford. Plus she makes a couple of changes while back at home with her dad.

Anyway, this chapter goes in order of flashback, the present, flashback, the present, etc. Just in case you get lost but I think it's easy enough to follow. Please review!

* * *

_Stanford University_

_1999_

"Son of a bitch!" the young woman curses, her books tumbling down the stairs as the bottom of her bag gives way.

She sighs, throwing her now useless bag to the bottom of the stairs as she kneels to pick them up.

"Sorry," she growls, not looking up as someone nearly trips on her mess.

"Here, I've got it," the young man says, flashing her a smile as he quickly collects the rest of her books for her.

"Thanks, uh...?" she sighs, brushing her hair out of her face as she straightens up.

"No problem," he says, watching her. "And it's Bryce."

"Bryce," she nods, the corner of her mouth lifting slightly. "Bela."

"Bela," he nods, smiling again. "Where are you headed, I'll carry these for you. Promise not to give up like your backpack."

"You don't need to do that," she says, chewing on her lip for a moment.

"They're heavy, I'm surprised you even got this far with them," he chuckles.

"Dad's genes; strong," she mumbles before shrugging. "I'm heading to my room if you really want to carry all of those?"

"My pleasure."

"You're crazy," she teases, glancing at him as he follows beside her.

"Just helpful," he nods, his grin growing wider as he reads the cover of one of her books. "You're in EE131?"

"What?" she asks before he nods at the cover. "Oh, yeah."

"Pretty brutal," he says, staring at her curiously.

"I can handle brutal," she smirks.

* * *

_Los Angeles Airport_

_Present_

"You're not taking much," Bryce notes, carrying Bela's luggage through the airport.

"I'm only going to my dad's," she shrugs, looking around anxiously at the large crowd. "He won't toss out my things, so I have clothes there."

He nods, gripping their new IDs securely. It was best that they left under an alias; the less people that knew Bela was leaving, the better.

"I still can't believe you live down the road from Chuck," he smiles, shaking his head.

"It wasn't planned," she frowns. "I went for a visit, and ended up staying. Awesome found me a cheap apartment, Chuck got me a job at the Buy More, everything worked out great."

"How'd your dad take it?" he asks, taking her hand as they move through the people.

"Not too bad," she says, smiling lightly. "It meant he could work longer, and not have to worry about coming home for me all the time."

"When's the last time you saw him?" he asks.

"I uh, I try to see him every few months or so? But I hate flying so I usually just bus there when I get time off."

"The bus?" he asks, raising an eyebrow.

"It's not that bad," she snorts. "And it's cheap."

"You shouldn't have to take the bus," he says, shaking his head. "Too brutal for a girl like you."

"A girl like me?" she smirks, her elbow poking him lightly in the ribs. "And you know I can handle brutal."

* * *

"Bela!" Bryce calls, waving at her as he makes his way over.

"Your boyfriend's back," Jill teases, elbowing Bela in the ribs.

"Stop it," she snorts. "He helped me that one time; I'm surprised he even remembers my name."

"He likes you," she smirks, laughing at Bela's widened eyes before leaving just as Bryce reaches them.

"Bela, hi," he says, smiling down at her. "It's Bryce."

"No, I remember," she nods. "How are you?"

"I'm great," he says, pulling something from behind his back. "I actually have something for you."

He hands her the bag, watching her reaction as she takes it.

"To replace the one that broke," he explains.

"I can't accept this," she says, staring up at him.

"Of course you can," he laughs.

"Thank you," she whispers, wrapping her arms around him. He pauses momentarily before sliding his arms around her.

"It's nothing, really," he says as they pull apart.

"This is incredibly sweet, Bryce," she smiles. "I have to make it up to you."

"It's a gift, Bela," he says. "You don't need to do anything."

"Dinner," she says, staring him down.

"Well of course I'll take you to dinner," he says, smirking at her surprised look.

"Bryce, what? No, I meant-"

"I'll pick you up at eight," he says, waving over his shoulder as she stands there stunned.

* * *

"How are we traveling?" Bryce asks, glancing at Bela in the window seat.

"Why couldn't we just swap seats?" she growls, staring at her hands clasped together in her lap.

"This is more fun for me," he shrugs, laughing as she whacks him in the chest.

"You know I hate flying, and heights, and planes, and-"

"Everything in the sky," he teases.

"So funny," she smirks, momentarily taking a glance out the window before quickly turning back to Bryce. "You need to distract me."

"So what's going on with Casey and you?" he asks and she growls.  
"Wasn't what I had in mind," she sighs.

"You weren't specific on the topic," he shrugs, still staring down at her.

"We have the same cover as Chuck and Sarah," she says, knowing he wouldn't buy the simple explanation for a second.

"Yeah, and?" he chuckles.

"And, the cover is covering... something else," she shrugs, taking a moment to think. "We're... Casey and me have been sleeping together for a while."

Bryce tenses briefly at this, frowning.

"Yeah, I really see the appeal there, Bells," he says, rolling his eyes.

"Stop," she says, smiling lightly. "He's not that bad."

"He shot me," he mutters.

"I didn't know that, Bryce," she says, resting a hand on his. "He helped me out, okay? I was pretty messed up with the whole intersect thing and Casey really helped me."

"Yeah, I see how taking you into his bed would help you cope," he continues.

"You wanna quit with the jealously now?" she asks, beginning to get annoyed. "Or you want me to bring up the topic of Sarah and you?"

"Sarah and me weren't serious," he says. "You know that."

"So she was just a bit of fun?"

"Exactly," Bryce nods.

"So is Casey," she says, pausing as the words leave her mouth. It didn't feel right, saying it.

"He's fun?" Bryce asks sceptically, pulling her from her thoughts.

"He's fun," she shrugs.

"He'll be waiting for you," he says.

"What do you mean? He has to wait for me, it's his job," she chuckles.

"You didn't tell him you were leaving, and once he finds out you're gone and who you left with? Your cover is gonna be a little harder when you get back, sweetheart," he smiles, sliding his hand into hers.

"That's why I don't want to go back," she whispers. "But I can't leave Chuck to deal with this by himself. Anyway, I'm sure Casey will forget all about me once he gets reassigned."

Bryce laughs at this, bringing their clasped hands up to his lips as he kisses her hand.

"Trust me, Bells," he whispers, leaning against her. "You're hard to forget about."

* * *

"Oh, God," Bela gasps, crawling above the sheets. Bryce follows soon after, kissing her before pulling her against his side.

"You're really something, Bells," he chuckles, kissing her shoulder.

"What about you?" she smiles, rolling on top of him. "You're... wow."

"Glad you enjoyed it as much as I did," he grins, kissing her again.

She laughs, trying to catch her breath as she rests her forehead against his.

"So weren't we supposed to have dinner at some point?" she asks, causing him to let out a laugh.

"I think dessert was a much better choice," he says, causing her to laugh.

"That was so cheesy," she snorts. He grins, leaning up and kissing her before flipping her onto her back.

"Who needs dinner, anyway?" he whispers before leaning down and kissing her neck.

"Bryce!" she gasps.

* * *

"Bryce!" Bela gasps, clutching his arm tightly. "You son of a bitch, wake up!"

"Hmm?" he mumbles, opening his eyes and meeting her panic filled ones. "Hey, what's wrong?"

"Turbulence," she hisses and he groans, resting his head back against his seat. "I swear to God if you go to sleep again you will wake up with one less appendage."  
"Okay, alright, I'm awake," he nods, wiping at his eyes. "I forgot how annoying you are."

"Oh," she says. "It's like that now?"

"I'm teasing, sweetheart," he whispers, resting his head on her shoulder. "You're an absolute joy to be around, that's why all my friends liked you better than they liked me."

"That's a lie, Chuck hated me when we first met," she says.

"He loved you, mainly because you were half naked when you met," he smirks.

* * *

"Hi?" Bela says, looking up as Chuck walks into the room.

"Sorry," he says, quickly covering his eyes. "Um, Bryce didn't say you were spending the night... I did knock?"

"No, it's fine," she says, quickly pulling a jumper on over her underwear as she climbs out of bed. "He's still asleep, I'm Bela."

"Chuck," he smiles at her as he tosses his bag onto his bed. She stands there awkwardly as he takes a seat at the computer, loading it up.

"I've seen you in some of my classes," she says, moving over to him.

"Yeah, Bryce mentioned you were in them-he mentions you a lot actually."

"That must get annoying," she smiles, scratching the back of her neck nervously.

"Well, we can't all be as lucky as Bryce," Chuck says before noticing her confused look. "Uh, to have a girlfriend I mean. It's been a while... not that you-not that you needed to know any of that."

He blushes as he quickly turns back to the computer.

"You know, my roommate Jill is single, maybe we could all go out on a double date sometime?" Bela asks.

"Sure," Chuck says nervously before glancing at her. "Have a seat, if you want?"

He gestures at the empty seat next to him and she nods, crossing her legs next to him.

"So you're in EE131, too?" she asks, watching as he clicks through some programs.

"Oh, yeah," he says, nodding at her. "The only reason I signed up is because I'm building my own version of... it's kind of embarrassing, actually."

"What?" she asks.

"You don't remember that old video game Zork do you?" he asks as a wide grin spreads across her face.

"You are likely to be eaten by a grue," she smirks.

"Holy crap, you do remember Zork!" he laughs.

"I love that game," she smiles. "I mean, I haven't thought about it in a while."

"Uh, that's probably a good thing."

"I disagree," Bela says. "It's nineteen ninety nine; next millennium belongs to the geek."

"Alright," Chuck nods, grinning at her. "But still, you know, text based computer games don't exactly play with the chicks. You're a rare one."

"Jill, who I was telling you about?" she says. "She's nuts about Everquest."

"Are you serious?" he asks.

"Oh I am definitely setting you two up," Bela smiles causing Chuck to grin back at her.

"Stealing my girlfriend over there, Chuck?" Bryce asks, sitting up as he wipes his eyes.

"Trying, buddy, she is awesome," he says, causing her to blush.

"I'm setting Chuck and Jill up," she says, turning to face him.

"Your roommate?" he asks as she nods. "That would be great 'cause then I could actually spend the night in your room and not have to worry about her walking in."

"I swear he only has one thing on his mind," she says, smirking at Chuck and causing him to laugh.

"I don't like you two being friends," he frowns, pulling a pillow over his head.

"How do you put up with him?" she asks, smiling.

"I could ask you the same thing," Chuck laughs.

* * *

"You've got everything?" Bryce asks, closing the trunk of the rental car.

"I'm good," she nods as he walks around to the passenger side.

He pauses, holding the door open for her as she stares up at him.

He leans down and kisses her, pulling her closer as she responds. He mumbles an address to the driver as he climbs in after her, quickly pulling the door shut before meeting her lips again.

Pulling away, she rests her head on his shoulder as he wraps an arm around her.

"God, I've missed you," he sighs, causing her to smile.

"I've missed you, too," she whispers.

* * *

"Bela!" Jill yells, rushing into their room. Bela sits up quickly pulling the sheets around herself while making sure they covered Bryce.

"Hi there," she smiles, watching the other woman shove a bunch of clothes into her bag.

"I'm spending the night with Chuck, you guys get the place to yourselves, have fun!" she grins before rushing back out again.

"You, too?" Bela asks slowly staring at the now closed door. "What just happened?"

"We've lost our best friends," Bryce mumbles as he pulls her down next to him.

"No, now we get to see them twice as often because of my matchmaking skills," she smirks.

"Why are we talking about this when we have your room to ourselves?" he asks, pulling her closer. "Since your dad once again wouldn't let me stay in your room."

She laughs, kissing him.

"It was only for two weeks, Bryce," she teases. "It's not gonna matter how many times you stay, you'll be on the couch; he doesn't want his daughter violated by some college boy."

"Some college boy?" he asks, frowning as he rolls on top of her. "Is that all I am to you, after all this time?"

"You know I love you," she smiles and he pauses momentarily before grinning.

"Bryce!" she screams, her hands gripping his as his fingers dig into her sides.

"So ticklish," he teases.

"Stop it, stop!" she laughs, sighing as he lets her go.

He rolls onto his side, resting his head on his hand as he stares down at her.

"You've got that serious look on your face," she jokes.

"We should get married," he says, taking her hand. She laughs, pulling his hand to her lips and kissing it gently.

"My dad would love that," she grins.

"C'mon, we both know that your dad loves me," he smiles, pulling her closer.

"He does," she nods. "And he's never liked any of my boyfriends, what did you do?"

"I didn't do a thing, Bells," he chuckles, kissing her. "You've taken me there for every holiday; he's just used to me by now."

"Uh huh," she frowns as he rolls on top of her again.

"Marry me," he says, staring down at her.

"Bryce!" she laughs as his hands slide down her sides, his fingers digging into her ribs.

"Come on," he whispers, resting his forehead against hers.

"Marry you," she says, smiling up at him. "Become Mrs. Bryce Larkin?"

"Mrs. Isabela Larkin," he says, grinning at the name.

"You're insane," she laughs.

"Marry me, Isabela Tiernan," he whispers, not taking his eyes off of her. She swallows, staring up at him. "I love you."

"I love you, too," she says, smiling.

"And?" he asks slowly.

"And," she says, the corner of her lip twitching. "Where's my ring?"

He jumps out of bed, quickly grabbing something from his jeans before joining her again.

"You had it on you?" she laughs, sitting up.

"You didn't find it," he shrugs, taking her hand in his. "Now I know this isn't anything special, but I promise you I will get you a much better one."

He slowly lifts open the jewelery box, showing her the small silver band.

"It's real silver at least, but that's not a diamond," he says sheepishly.

"Bryce, it's-this is beautiful," she whispers, staring at the ring. He takes it from the box before sliding it onto her finger.

"Sweet mother thank god it fits," he sighs, causing her to laugh.

"I can't believe you," she grins, staring at her hand. "My dad is going to kill you."

"Your dad gave me his blessing," he smirks before she turns her attention to him.

"He what?" she growls. "You _told him_ you were planning this?"

"I thought you'd be happy that I checked with him first!"

She chews her lip as she stares at him, seeming to make a decision as she returns her attention to the ring.

"I can't believe he didn't kill you," she smirks.

"Like I said, your dad loves me," he gloats as the door opens.

"Wow, okay," Chuck says, staring at the two in their underwear.

"It's okay," Bela says, waving him and Jill in.

"Are you sure?" she asks, staring at the wall as Bela pulls one of Bryce's shirts on.

"I have an announcement, anyway," Bryce says as he pulls his jeans on.

He clears his throat, taking Bela's hand in his.

"Bela accepted my proposal, we're-"

"Engaged!" Bela interrupts, holding her hand out for Chuck and Jill to see.

"Wow! That is-that-that is amazing! Very amazing and very good-great news!" Chuck says, clapping his hands. Bryce lets out a laugh as Bela stares at him.

"So you knew," she says before turning to Jill.

"Chuck might have mentioned it," she says guiltily.

"Are there no secrets?" Bela huffs.

"We managed to keep this one from you," Bryce teases, earning himself a smack in the chest.

"Ow," he laughs, pulling her to him.

"Spousal abuse," he pouts, leaning down to her.

"Hmm, we're not married _yet_," she whispers before kissing him.

"We should all go out to dinner; celebrate!" Jill says, elbowing Chuck in the side.

"Yes, definitely that is a great idea," he nods.

"I thought you were spending the night with Chuck?" Bela asks Jill slowly.

"We may or may not have known that Bryce was asking you tonight," she smirks.

"Oh my God," Bela says, smacking Bryce again.

"Dinner?" Chuck asks, interrupting the two.

"What do you say, _honey_?" Bryce teases.

"Whatever you say, _dear_," she laughs.

* * *

"So my dad still thinks of you as the guy who broke my heart," Bela says, frowning as Bryce pays the cab driver. "Just so you know."

"Your dad loves me, though," he smirks, carrying her bag up the driveway.

"Loved, he _loved_ you when he thought you were going to marry me," she says. "Now he thinks you're the cruel bastard who broke his daughter's heart."

"Crap," he says, glancing at her nervously.

"We should probably have a cover, then?" she asks. "We're dating again?"

"That mean I get to kiss you more often?" he grins.

"If you dare in front of my dad," she laughs, knocking.

"He scares me, Bells," he says, causing her to laugh.

"Hi," she smiles as the door opens.

"Darlin'," the man says, grinning back. "This is a surprise."

"Mr. Tiernan," Bryce says nervously, stepping into view.

"Bryce?" he asks before frowning. "You son of a bitch, what the hell are you-"

"Dad, stop!" Bela says, standing between the two. "It's okay, Bryce and me we're-we're back together now."

He growls, staring at the other man before Bela follows him inside.

"The truck's looking dirty, you just get back or getting ready to go?" she asks.

"Both," he says, handing her a beer before pushing one into Bryce's hand. "You can help me clean her while you're here."

She laughs, twisting off the lid. She takes a swig before staring up at him. "So how are you, dad?"

He shrugs, taking a swig of his own bottle.

"Can't complain."

"Sure, sure," she smirks, carrying her bags up the hallway as he moves in front of Bryce, stopping him from following.

"Couch," he says, watching Bryce carefully.

"Yes, sir," he nods, making his way into the living room.

* * *

"Something's up with Bryce," Bela says, frowning. "He's been acting strange lately."

"Bryce is always weird," Chuck laughs, but turns to her. "He's fine, Bells."

"You don't think he's having second thoughts? About asking me to marry him?" she asks, staring up at him.

"What? No, of course not!" he says seriously. "You know Bryce, when he does something he means it. And it's been how many months? He'd of said something by now."

"If you say so," she says, still frowning.

"There's nothing to worry about, Bells," he smiles. "Promise."

* * *

"Morning," Bela smiles, leaning over the couch. Bryce groans as she pulls herself over the back, landing on him.

"That was cruel," he mumbles as she crawls under the blanket with him, grabbing the remote from the table.

"You're tough, you can take it," she teases, flicking through the channels.

"What is with you and your monster trucks," he laughs as she tosses the remote back on the table.

"Learnt from the best," her dad says, walking into the room.

Bryce immediately scoots to the very end of the couch, Bela raising an eyebrow at his reaction.

"Morning," she smiles as he hands her a mug. "Oh, you still remember."

"'Course," he says, taking a seat in the arm chair as Bryce sits there awkwardly. "If you want a cup boy, you know where everything is."

Bryce nods, not moving from his spot as he slowly pulls the blanket closer to him.

"What are you doing?" Bela snorts, watching him gather it around his waist.

"I've only got boxers on," he whispers, her dad watching the two carefully.

"Nothin' we haven't seen before," he mutters his eyes on the tv. Bela laughs at this as Bryce turns red.

"Go get dressed," she smiles, nodding for him to leave. He quickly rises from the couch, the blanket still wrapped around his waist as he rushes up the hallway.

"That boy is an idiot," he says, glancing at his daughter.

"He's not," she smirks, shaking her head. "And he's not a boy anymore, dad."

"Thought you hated him," he grunts, turning back to the tv.

"That was a long time ago," she says, watching the trucks. "Things have changed since then."

"I still remember the day you showed up here, darlin'," he says, turning to her now. "Broke my heart to see ya like that."

"We were stupid to get engaged in college," she admits. "Wasn't just his fault, it was mine too."

"Don't you go blamin' yourself for his mistakes," he says. "He broke your heart, and I'm not gonna soon forget that even if you do."

"I know," she nods, smiling over at him.

* * *

"Hey, Chuckles," Bela grins as he closes the door to her room. "Jill's in, right?"

"Right," he mutters, walking straight past her.

"Hey, what's wrong?" she asks, following.

"Nothing," he growls, sighing as she continues to trail him.

She frowns at the group of students gathered at the bottom of the stairs, Chuck ignoring them as she stops, noticing Bryce.

"Hey, what's going on with Chuck?" she asks, watching him lean over the pool table.

He shrugs, some of the other guys shaking their heads in disbelief. She growls at his attitude, quickly running up the stairs.

"Chuck, what's wrong, did something happen?" she asks, entering his room. "Chuck!"

He had his stuff nearly packed, and she grabbed his arm roughly as he turned away from her.

"What is going on?" she growls, making him turn to face her.

"I've been expelled. I'm kicked out, not graduating, nothing," he says.

"No," she says, shaking her head. "No Chuck why? What happened?"

"Why don't you ask your fiancé," he growls, pushing past her.

"Chuck!" she calls after him but he ignores her. She follows him down the stairs, her blood turning cold at his next words.

"I don't get it, Bryce," Chuck says. "Why are you doing this?"

"You did this to yourself," he says blankly before returning to his game of pool.

"Chuck-" Bela whispers, slowly following him outside.

"Goodbye, Bells," he says, pulling her into a hug as he rests a box against his side. "I'm really gonna miss you."

"Isn't there something you-can't we do something?" she sniffs, tears spilling down her face. He shakes his head before leaning down and kissing her on the cheek.

"Please keep in touch," he says and she nods, releasing him.

"Goodbye, Chuck," she says, her voice cracking as he walks away. She takes a moment to calm herself before furiously wiping the tears from her cheeks and re-entering the building.

The group had dispersed slightly, and Bryce was no longer there.

"Where is he?" she asks quietly.

"Went upstairs," one of the guys shrugs and she nods, slowly walking up the stairs.

"What the hell did you do?" Bela growls the minute she steps into the room. Bryce looks at her surprised as she slams the door, trying not to look at the now empty corner that was once Chuck's.

"I'm sorry," he says, trying to pull her into his arms.

"What did you do?" she asks again.

"I told the professor that Chuck cheated on his midterm exam," he sighs.

"You did _what_?" Bela yells, backing away from him.

"Bela I'm sorry, but you have to believe me," Bryce pleads, but she just shakes her head.

"Chuck would _never_ cheat, and you know that! What is wrong with you? He's your-he was-I thought you were friends!" she argues, the tears starting to slip down her cheeks again.

"Bela, _please_," he tries, moving toward her again.

"_Screw you,"_ she growls, slamming the door shut behind her.

* * *

"Is this all you're going to do up here?" Bryce yells, Bela not hearing a word. He raises his hand, flinching slightly as she comes within inches of him on her dirt bike.

"Yeah?" she yells, lifting the face of her helmet up. He frowns at her until she sighs, shutting off the machine. "What?"

"This all you plan on doing up here?" he asks again. "It's been two days already, Bells."

"Leave the girl alone, she'd probably much rather be up here without you nagging at her," her dad says, climbing down from his Mack Titan.

"Is there something you wanted to do?" she asks, ignoring her father's remarks.

"Is there something _you_ wanted to do?" he asks, watching her carefully. She pauses, thinking for a moment.

"There's a couple things I can think of," she smirks, glancing at her dad. "Dad, you still got that friend who does your ink?"

Bryce's eyes widen.

"Finally thinkin' of getting' one?" he asks her.

"Thinkin' about it," she nods.

"I'll let him know," he says, walking into the garage.

"Bells!" Bryce hisses, frowning at her. "A tattoo? You're not getting a tattoo!"

"You're my father now? Because you look nothin' like him," she teases.

"When you wanted to come home I thought you had a reason for it," he says.

"To see my dad, and I've been doing that," she shrugs. "Not having to worry about the intersect, missions, I can just be normal here."

He smiles, nodding as she climbs off the bike.

"Get your tattoo," he sighs, smiling at her.

"You gonna watch?" she teases, walking into the garage.

"Do I have a choice?" he laughs.

* * *

"Bells, you in here?" Bryce asks, freezing as he opens the door to her room.

"Bryce," she gasps, pulling the sheets closer around herself. He stares at her wide eyed, briefly glancing at the sleeping man in her bed.

"I, um, I wanted to give you your things back," he says, watching as she takes the box from him, throwing it to the floor.

"Is that it?" she asks.

"Bells," he pleads, stepping toward her.

"No," she growls, moving away. "No, you do not get to act like the hurt one here."

"I'm not-"

"Chuck was our best friend," she whispers, quickly wiping at the tears spilling down her cheeks. "And I will _never_ forgive you for what you did to him."

She pushes him back before slamming the door.

"Who was that?" the man asks, climbing out of bed. She growls, turning and picking up his clothes, throwing them at him.

"Out, you need to get out," she orders, opening the door before pushing him out as well. She slams it shut, holding the sheets against her as she slides to the floor.

"What now?" she asks as she hears a thud outside her room. She quickly stands up, swinging the door back open.

"Bryce?" she yells, staring at him wide eyed. He was standing over the man she'd just kicked out, holding his fist. "Is he-is he unconscious?"

"I would say so," he shrugs.

"Get in here," she hisses, pulling him inside.

He immediately pulls her against him, his lips crushing hers as he takes the sheet from her hands, letting it slide to the floor. She moans as his hands slide down her back, his lips moving across her jaw.

"You can't do this," he whispers, kissing down her neck. "Seeing you with that guy right now, Bells-you're breaking my heart."

"And hearing about you and Jill is a walk in the park for me," she snaps, pulling away. He stops, staring at her confused.

"What are you talking about?" he asks.

"You're sleeping with Jill," she says, picking up the sheet and pulling it around herself again. "Everyone is talking about it."

"I've never-look I've never, ever slept with Jill," he says, staring down at her. "Nor do I intend to; I swear to you Bells."

She stares up at him, searching his eyes for any chance of him lying.

"Okay," she nods. "I believe you."

"Didn't Jill tell you this herself?" he asks.

"I wanted to hear it from you, as well," she says, frowning. "She's my best friend, too, so of course I believed her when she denied it."

He nods, sliding his hands down her arms before entwining his fingers with hers.

"You're still wearing it," he smiles, bringing up her hand to his lips.

She nods.

"Hey," he says, staring down at her. "You okay?"

"Chuck still thinks we're broken up," she sighs, dressing. He nods, watching her.

"You've been talking to him again?" he asks.

"Yeah," she says, surprised at his question. "I talk to him most days."

"You know Jill broke up with him," he says.

"I know," she sighs. "I tried talking her out of it, but she still thinks he cheated on the midterm."

"Bells-" he starts, frowning.

"I'm sorry," she says, looking up at him. "This time? I'm taking Chuck's side. There's not a chance in hell that I'll ever believe he cheated."

"Fine," he says as she joins him on the bed.

"I'm still mad at you, just so you know," she says before kissing him.

"Mad?" he asks, smiling against her lips.

"Furious," she whispers.

* * *

"Son of a bitch!" Bela hisses, rolling her head back.

"Suck it up, darlin' it's not that bad," her father chuckles.

"Easy for you to say," she says, glancing up at him. "You don't have tattoos here."

The man facing her laughs at this, pressing the needle gun against her side again.

"There ain't no way I'm gettin' that close to your old man," the artist laughs.

"You okay, Bells?" Bryce asks, rubbing her back. She nods, glancing up at him.

"Just a bit of a shock," she says, gratefully taking a beer from her dad.

"You get used to it," he smirks.

"You gettin' one, too?" the man asks, glancing up at Bryce as he re-inks the needle.

"No, no thank you," he says, holding his hands up. "None for me."

The two men chuckle at this, Bela smiling up at Bryce.

"Ignore them," she says.

"Oh darlin', we're just teasin' the boy," her dad laughs.

"Sure you are," she smiles before turning her attention back to the pain in her side.

* * *

"Chuck?" Bela asks as he walks past her. He stops, quickly turning around. "Hey, how'd it go? With Jill?"

He sighs, shaking his head.

"Let's get a coffee or something, okay?" she asks, resting her hand on his arm.

"Yeah," he nods. "That'd be good."

"So you just came from work?" she asks, nodding at his clothes.

"What? Oh, yeah," he says, scratching the back of his neck sheepishly as he glances at his Buy More clothes.

"It's better than bussing tables," she teases, referring to her own job.

"That's debatable," he chuckles causing her to laugh.

They both order drinks before finding a table and sitting down.

He stares at her as she rests her hands on the table.

"What?" she asks.

"You're not wearing your ring," he notes, nodding at her hand.

Her hand immediately covers the other, rubbing her bare finger.

"Oh, that," she says.

"The wedding not happening?" he asks, trying to keep the relief out of his voice. From the look on her face, he'd failed.

"Bryce and I... we're not, um, well we-" she stutters before sighing. "We're still seeing each other."

"Oh," he says, nodding. "That's-uh, well, okay-that's-"

"I'm sorry," she says before he interrupts her.

"He's dating both you and Jill, then? Classy," he says rather bitterly. She's taken aback for a moment before composing herself.

"Cherie told you that?" she asks and he nods. "That bitch, it's not true Chuck. Bryce and Jill have _never_ slept together."

He stares at her confused.

"Never?" he asks.

"I swear to you," she says.

"Okay," he nods, sighing in relief before frowning. "Then why won't she return my calls? Why-"

"Well there's Cherie, who deletes half of your messages before Jill even hears them-I swear I'm gonna kick her ass," she growls, causing him to laugh. "And then there's the fact that Jill thinks you cheated no matter what I tell her."

"She believes Bryce over you?" he asks and she nods. "And you're sure she's not sleeping with him?"

"Ha, ha," she says, smirking at him.

"So the wedding?" he asks, still curious about her relationship with his former best friend.

"Ahh," she says, sighing. "I don't see us continuing after we graduate."

"Really?" he asks. "Bells-"

"It's not because of you, Chuck," she says before pausing. "It's not _just_ because of that, we're just... things have changed between us, and Bryce has changed a lot."

"I hate to say this, but a part of me does miss seeing you two together," he says.

"I slept with someone," she sighs, his eyes widening.

"Bells," he frowns.

"It didn't mean anything, and Bryce walked in after so he knows," she whispers. "He looked so hurt."

"Why'd you do it?" he asks, staring at her. "If it meant nothing, then why even bother?"

"I don't know," she growls, resting her head against the table. "I was pissed at all the rumours about Bryce and Jill, but I mean Jill had already told me they weren't true so-"

"You still wanted to hurt him," Chuck says, causing her to look up.

"I still wanted to hurt him," she nods, sighing. "Because he hurt a lot of people with what he did to you."

He reaches across the table, covering her hand with his.

"What would I do without you, Bells?" he smiles before glancing down at his watch.

"Damn it," he frowns.

"Gotta get back?" she asks and he nods as they both stand.

"You need to come see me, my sister misses you," he smiles before adding. "And uh, and Morgan, too."

"Wow, that's gonna be... interesting?" she asks, causing him to laugh. "I am coming to visit as soon as I graduate, I promise."

"You'd better," he says, pulling her into a hug. "It was great seeing you."

"You, too," she smiles as they part.

"Talk to you soon, Bells," Chuck smiles, waving.

* * *

"I'm back!" Bela calls, pulling her jacket off as she walks into the lounge room.

She pauses as Bryce and her dad both turn away from the tv, staring up at her.

"Yes?" she says slowly.

"You cut your hair!" they say in unison.

"It's short," Bryce says, the two men continuing to stare at her.

"Real short, Bells," her dad adds. She sighs, running a hand through her hair. Instead of reaching her middle back, the longest strands now finished at her jaw line.

"It looks that bad?" she asks, frowning. The two men quickly exchange glances, not knowing what to say.

"It's hair, Bells, what do you want me to say?" her dad asks, gesturing at his own. His beard rested on his slight beer gut while his greying hair was tied back behind his head in a loose ponytail.

"Exactly, you don't get an opinion on this one," she teases before turning to Bryce.

"It looks great, sweetheart!" he says honestly.

"Kiss ass," her dad mutters, earning a laugh from Bryce as he joins Bela in the kitchen.

"Everything go okay?" he asks, kissing her quickly.

"I'm back in one piece," she smiles, walking up the hall to her room.

"That doesn't answer my question," he says, following.

"Nothing happened," she says seriously, smiling at him. "It was nice not to have to watch my back for once."

"I told you to keep an eye out while you were gone," he frowns.

She laughs, kissing him quickly before sitting on her bed.

"I'm okay, Bryce," she smiles.

He nods, looking around her room.

She ignores him for the most part as she goes through her phone.

"Hmm," he says causing her to look up.

"No!" she says, jumping to her feet as he opens one of her drawers.

"I knew you'd still have it," he smirks, opening the small box in his hands.

"Of course I still have it," she sighs before smiling.

He moves towards her, lifting her hand up as he slides the ring onto her finger.

"Would it be so bad?" he asks, staring at her hand. "Being married to me?"

"No," she whispers. "It wouldn't."

* * *

"Congratulations," Bryce says, leaning against Bela's door frame.

She looks up, smiling when she sees him.

"And to you," she nods. "Who'd of thought, we finally graduated."

"Who'd of thought," he says, nodding back.

"Jill's already left," she says, the two glancing at the empty side of the room. "I'm leaving in an hour."

"That soon," he says, watching her. She lets out a breath as he pulls her into his arms, holding her tight against him.

"I'm going to miss you," she whispers against his chest. "So much."

"I'm gonna miss you, too, Bells," he says as they part. She wipes the stray tears from her cheek before clearing her throat.

"I have something for you," she says, moving over to her bags piled on her bed. She pulls out her handbag, quickly taking out a small box before joining him again.

"No," he says, shaking his head as she tries to hand it to him. "I want you to keep it."

She stares up at him before nodding.

"Where are you going now?" she asks, staring down at her hands.

"Traveling," he shrugs, avoiding her eyes for a moment.

"Sounds exciting," she smiles.

"What about you?" he asks. "What are your big plans, huh?"

"Going home and starting from there," she says, biting her lip. "I might visit Chuck, as well."

He frowns at the mention of his former best friend before nodding.

"You'll be great, Bells," he smiles, leaning down and kissing her before pulling back. "Whatever you do, you'll be great. I just know it."

"Thank you," she whispers.

"Goodbye, Isabela," he says, standing in the doorway.

"Goodbye, Bryce," she says, watching him go.

* * *

"We've got everything," Bela smiles, Bryce quickly taking their luggage down to the taxi as she turns to her dad.

"Bye darlin'," he says, pulling her into his arms.

"Bye, dad," she smiles as they part. "Call me when you get back again, okay?"

"Will do," he nods before turning to Bryce.

"It was good seeing you again, son," he says, patting Bryce on the shoulder as he walks past.

"Son?" Bryce whispers to her, a grin spreading across his face.

"Don't," she warns and he takes her hand as they walk down the driveway.

"He called me son," he continues as he opens the cab door for her.

"He called you son in college, too," she smirks before giving the driver directions to the airport.

"Your dad loves me again," he says, causing her to laugh as he climbs in after her.

"You're a dreamer," she teases, shaking her head.

"Sure you're ready to go home?" he asks, wrapping his arm around her again.

"Ready as I'll ever be," she smiles, resting her head on his shoulder.

* * *

A/N: That's pretty much all there is to know about Bela. Her dad, her relationship with Bryce, etc. Also, her accent has changed to mimic her dad in this chapter which is a habit of hers. When she goes home, she goes back to being the normal Isabela that her dad raised hence the monster trucks and dirt bike. But next chapter she'll be back in California being the intersect, and we'll see how Casey reacts to her being back, including the hair cut and tattoo. Oh, and the slight lingering accent.

Also, her tattoo; It's on her ribs, left side, and it's from the Maya Angelou poem _Phenomenal Woman_. "It's in the arch of my back, the sun of my smile." More will be revealed about that in the next chapter which will hopefully be out within the next couple of weeks. Please review!


	12. Chuck vs The Crown Vic

A/N: Thanks for all the reviews, favorites, and/or author/story alerts. It really means a lot to know that people are enjoying these so thanks everyone. And once again, I've switched chapters 11 and 12 around so this is actually _vs the Crown Vic... _

Anyway Bela is back in this chapter. This might be the last update for a while because I'm going to be staying with my brother for three weeks, and he has no internet and he's on the other side of the country from me so I'm not going to be all that focused on writing for a while. But I'll try to get the next one posted as soon as I can when I get back and then we can move on to the Season Two chapters! Please review!

* * *

"Decided to take up bird watching?" Casey asks, pulling Chuck out of his thoughts as he stares out the front of the Buy More.

"Just breathing in the view," he says, Casey grunting at his answer.

"I know that grunt," he says, turning to face him. "Yeah that's the number seven, right? Skeptical with a side of cynicism?"

"Just clearing my throat," he growls. "What are you looking at, anyway?"

"She didn't-ha! She didn't tell you," Chuck laughs, shaking his head.

"Who didn't tell me what?" he growls, already sick of this game.

"Uh, S-Sarah. Sarah hasn't talked to you today? Or yesterday?" he stammers nervously.

"Agent Walker and I don't do a lot of fraternizing off hours," he says. "So where is she?"

"Uh... I don't know," he says slowly, sighing in relief as Morgan joins them.

"She's a liar, not to be trusted," Morgan says, Casey rolling his eyes before leaving the two.

"What's that?" Chuck asks staring at him confused.

"Women," he explains. "Man they're so elusive, so unknowable okay they wrap you in this warm wool sweater of lies and it keeps you warm, but it makes your neck all itchy."

"Who are we talking about exactly?"

"Anna," he says. "By the way, never trust a woman whose name is a palindrome, okay?"

"Uh, how do you know she's a liar?" Chuck asks, throwing a glance towards the door before turning his attention back to Morgan.

"I waited outside her house last night in the bushes," he explains. "I saw her get picked up to go out, and then get dropped off exactly three hours and twenty four minutes later; she's cheating on me. My Anna Banana is cheating on me."

"In the bushes?" Chuck asks, still stuck on that part of Morgan's story.

"Well, I brought a sandwich," he shrugs. "Look, she's lying to me, okay, and our relationship is built on trust, Chuck; sex and trust, am I right?"

"Yeah, yeah, I guess," Chuck says slowly as Morgan sighs.

"You know what? I should be talking to Bela about this, she'd know," he says, looking around. "Is she back today, or still sick?"

Chuck quickly runs over Bela's cover in his head; if anyone other than Beckman or Graham asked, she was home. Visiting her father for a week before the holidays. When explaining it to the General, though- it was a different story all together. Bela was at her apartment, bedridden with the flu. Casey added that he'd be monitoring her at home at all times.

This of course was after Sarah and Chuck had admitted to him where Bela really was. He'd taken it as bad as expected, but things soon got worse when he was told who she left with. His fist and a wall in his apartment took the brunt of it, but he was snappy the past week, even when Ilsa was around. He also had no clue that Bela was returning today.

"Chuck?" Morgan says, interrupting his thoughts. "Is Bela home, is she back today?"

"Yeah," Chuck nods, resting a hand on Morgan's shoulder. "She's coming in later, okay buddy?"

* * *

"Here comes Sarah," Bryce says, nodding over to the car park.

"Thank god it's just her," Bela sighs in relief causing him to chuckle.

"Goodbye," he whispers, pulling her close. He slides his lips across hers quickly before pulling back.

"You're not staying?" she asks.

He shakes his head, slipping her bag over her shoulder.

"If I stay, you know what'll happen," he smiles, tucking a strand of hair back behind her ear. She smiles, nodding. "I still can't believe you cut it."

"You said you liked it," she frowns, and he kisses her again.

"I do," he smirks as Sarah joins them.

"Bela!" Sarah smiles, pulling her into a hug. "You've uh-you've changed!"

"It's the ridiculous haircut," Bela jokes as they part.

"It looks great, how's your dad?" she asks.

"Same as always," she smiles. "Thank you for letting me see him. Especially this close to Christmas, I really appreciate it."

"You're welcome, but you know that it can't happen again. Not anytime soon, at least," Sarah explains.

"I know," she nods.

"Thanks for looking after her, Bryce," Sarah says.

"My pleasure," he says, smiling at Bela before pulling her to him one more time.

"I'll give you a minute," Sarah says, turning around.

"Let me know when you're ready to settle down," Bryce says, kissing her hand.

"Don't hold your breath," she whispers, kissing him before stepping back. "Goodbye, Bryce."

"Goodbye, Bells," he smiles before nodding at Sarah. "Look after her."

"I will," Sarah nods, leading Bela to the car.

"So have I missed much?" she asks, the other woman pausing momentarily. "What?"

"I doubt Casey's going to tell you about what's happened in the last week, so I'll do it now," Sarah says, glancing at her.

"Oh... kay then," Bela nods as they climb into Sarah's car.

* * *

"The serial numbers that Chuck flashed on are a strain of counterfeit currency the Treasury's been trying to crack for years," Graham says to Chuck and Casey. "Perhaps we should wait to brief you until Agent Walker and Isabela arrive."

"Yes, will Miss Tiernan be joining us today or is she still unwell?" the General asks, glancing between the two men. Chuck immediately looks away from the screen, finding his watch increasingly interesting as he stares downward.

"Well?" she asks, annoyed.

"General-" Casey starts before the door swings open.

"We're here," Sarah says, walking in with Bela. Casey's eyes widen briefly before he frowns, turning back to the screen.

"Bela, glad to see you're feeling better," the General says slowly, taking in her new appearance.

"Thank you," Bela nods, chewing her lip nervously as she watches the screen.

"I'm sorry we're late, carry on," Sarah says.

"As we were saying, Lon Kirk now devotes most of his time and money to aide projects, mostly foreign," Beckman continues.

"And we think he's the source?" Casey asks keeping his eyes fixed to the screen.

"Not confirmed," Graham says. "However we have intel that a major counterfeiter is in Los Angeles trying to acquire a new set of printing plates."

"And how shall we proceed?" Sarah asks.

"As far as Kirk is concerned, very cautiously," Graham says slowly. "He's very well connected."

"He's hosting a charity event tonight, at the New Constellation Yacht Club," Beckman explains. "Sarah and Chuck will go as guests, Casey and Isabela as staff. Good luck."

"Bela!" Chuck grins as soon as the transmission ends, pulling her into his arms. "I missed you! You changed your hair!"

Casey grunts, beginning to pack up the equipment.

"I missed you, too," she smiles, resting her head on his shoulder. "I hope you kept out of trouble while I was gone?"

"Uh..." Chuck starts when they pull away, glancing at Casey.

"It's alright, I told her what happened," Sarah says, ignoring Casey's annoyed mutters.

"Can I just have a minute?" Bela asks, gesturing to Casey. Sarah nods, pulling Chuck along with her.

"I don't think that's a good idea," Chuck says before the door closes.

"You cut your hair," Casey observes once they're alone. She smiles nervously, scratching the back of her neck.

"I think we should talk," she says quietly.

"About?" he asks bluntly, turning to her.

"John..."

"How about the fact that you never once told me about Bryce and you until he just showed up? Or about your plans to up and leave without even saying a word to me? Or here's a good topic. How about the fact that you left with him?" he growls, brushing past her into the kitchen.

She stays on the other side of the counter as he glares at her.

"I thought that Bryce was dead! Jesus, I went to his funeral Casey!" she yells. "And then he just shows up alive? What the hell did you expect? I needed to make my peace."

"By screwing him."

"You know damn well that I didn't," she says, glaring at him.

"How would I know what you do? You leave without saying anything, and you leave with _him_!"

"After what happened I just wanted to go home and spend some time with my dad."

"Then you should have told me. I'm your handler, I would have gone with you," he sighs. "And you should have told me about Bryce."

"You never told me about Ilsa," she says, testing him.

"I thought Ilsa was dead," he warns.

"Exactly."

"Don't pull that on me, Bela," he growls. She sighs, pinching the bridge of her nose as her eyes slide shut briefly.

"Casey... you know full well what you were gettin' yourself into," she says, staring up at him. "You knew what I was like."

"Yeah, you were perfect for sex," he says, his eyes flicking down to the open buttons at the top of her shirt. "You wanted fun, you didn't want serious."

"And I liked that," she whispers, sitting on one of the bar stools.

"So what happened to that?" he asks. "You got feelings?"

"You can't tell me that you don't feel anythin', either. This has become a hell of a lot more than just sex," she says, running a hand through her hair. She was still getting used to the length, and he saw that. "If it was, you wouldn't have given a damn about Bryce."

"Bryce," he growls, clenching his fists.

"I didn't sleep with him, in the past week," she says, staring him down. He breaks eye contact first, looking over her shoulder.

"I didn't sleep with Ilsa," he shrugs, glancing at her. "In the past week."

"Okay," she says, standing up.

"Hey," he says, his hand catching her wrist and pulling her over to him.

"I'm sorry I didn't tell you," she says and he nods, his lips covering hers before they part.

"I missed you," he whispers, kissing her again as he pulls her up against him. She wraps her legs around him as he lifts her up, resting her on the counter as he pushes her skirt up around her waist. Her hands grip his shoulders as he kisses up her neck.

Moaning, she rests her head back as his lips caress her inner thigh, his fingers quickly pulling her underwear down.

"You know what else I've missed?" he growls in her ear.

"Casey!" she cries as he thrusts into her, his hands sliding down to her knees before back up again and parting her legs further.

She pulls at his shirt, sliding it over his head before tossing it aside.

"You cut your hair," he says again, pulling back from her momentarily.

"You don't like it?" she frowns, staring up at him. He chuckles, quickly pulling her back to him.

"You look amazing," he whispers, kissing her.

"Oh, God!" she screams as her nails scratch down his back, leaving angry red marks.

He growls, his hands gripping her hips and pulling her down on him. She gasps as the bench disappears from beneath her, her arms wrapping securely around his shoulders.

"You're talking funny, too," he adds, kissing her neck.

"Sorry," she smirks, her heels resting against his back. "Old habits."

"You've changed a lot in a week," he notes, his eyes meeting hers.

She swallows hard, nodding.

"I know."

His lips meet hers as he works faster, taking her over the edge.

"Casey!" she screams. He sits her back on the bench, pulling his underwear and pants back up before moving to the fridge.

He grins to himself as she leans her head to the side, catching her breath.

"Here," he smirks, resting a beer between her legs. She gasps at the cold sensation, quickly picking up the bottle.

"Thanks," she smiles, watching as he looks around before pulling his shirt out of the sink. "Sorry, I'm a bad shot."

He moves back over to her, resting his hands on either side of her.

"Glad you're back, sweetheart," he says, leaning down and kissing her.

"Me, too," she whispers, smiling up at him.

He kisses her again before pulling back, resting his hands on her legs.

"I need to get back to the Buy More, are you coming with me?"

She sighs, leaning forward.

"Yeah," she nods. "I have a shift this afternoon, anyway. I'll just annoy Sarah until it starts."

"You could annoy me instead," he growls, kissing her neck.

"As tempting as that is," she smiles before pushing him back. "You have a shift right now."

He kisses her before tossing his empty bottle in the sink, Bela doing the same as she jumps down from the counter.

"I need a minute," she smirks, picking her underwear up before making her way to the bathroom.

He stares after her, a smile playing at his lips.

* * *

"Evening," Bela smiles, Chuck taking a drink from her tray. He glances at her waitress attire before turning back to Sarah.

"Since when do you drink martinis?" Sarah asks, Bela raising an eyebrow at her tone before moving towards Casey.

"Oh, oh I don't, no but Carmichael loves 'em," he smiles.

"There he is, let's go," Sarah says.

"Thanks, sweetheart," Lon says, taking a drink from Bela as Casey glances between the two. Bela nods, smiling as she moves a short distance away from the table.

"Ah, Roulette's huh?" Chuck says as he and Sarah take a seat at the table. "My favorite game asides from Call of Duty; chips please."

"One hundred, sir, good luck," Casey says before muttering under his breath. "Don't lose it."

"I don't believe we've met before, I'm Lon Kirk I'm the host of this evening's event," he says, shaking Chuck's hand. "I know the people of Taiwan are deeply appreciative of your generosity."

"Oh, well, cheers the name's Carmichael, Charles Carmichael."

"Pleasure," he says before directing his attention to Sarah, kissing her hand. "And your stunning companion?"

"Sarah Walker," she smiles. "Pleasure."

"Indeed."

"May I ask, Mr Kirk-"

"Lon, please."

"Lon," Sarah nods. "I was wondering how you came to focus your charitable efforts on Taiwan."

"Well, I started doing business there," he begins as Casey spins the roulette wheel.

"And I just fell in love with the people, their indefatigable spirit and I said to myself," he continues before glancing at Casey. "Three nine, please."

"Yes, sir."

"I said to myself, Lon; you can help."

"That's wonderful," Sarah gushes, Chuck shooting her a look.

"And I always bet on red, because it reminds me of all the pain and suffering in the world."

"How noble," she nods, Chuck choking on his drink.

"Any other bets?" Casey asks, Bela glancing at them from the other table.

"Mhmm, I'm in, all of it," Chuck says, setting all of his chips on the table. "Always bet on black; Wesley Snipes, Passenger Fifty Seven-not a great film, granted."

"Are you sure you want to risk it all, sir?" Casey asks. "Might want to reconsider."

"Doesn't seem prudent," Lon agrees.

"Prudent!" Chuck laughs. "And here I thought we were gambling, right? Plus if I lose it, it goes to charity anyway, so here's to losing, right?"

"Cheers."

"Bets are in, one hundred thousand on black," Casey growls, Chuck choking on his drink.

"One hundred thousand dollars, is that what you just said?" he asks. "Ah, no no no wait, I didn't realise it was-it's normal, it's a normal bet for me, one hundred thousand dollars."

"Excuse me," Bela says, moving through the people to stand next to Casey.

"Come on black!" Chuck says, glancing up at her helplessly. "Black, black, black, black."

"Three red," Casey says.

"Do you guys do mulligans in roulette, or..." Chuck says nervously. "Or any kind of a do-over is there a thingy?"

"If you'll excuse me," Lon says, Sarah winking at him as he leaves the table.

"Did you really just wink at him?" Chuck asks in disbelief.

"Did you really just lose a hundred thousand dollars?" she growls.

"Psst," Casey says, interrupting the two as he nods at Lon across the room.

Bela and Chuck turn and stare at the man he was talking to.

"Kirk is talking to Rashan Chen," Bela says. "He's dirty; they're using the charity as a front to launder counterfeit money."

"Something's wrong, I'm gonna go over," Sarah says. "Chuck, you stay at the table."

"We'll work out a payment plan later," Casey says once she's left.

"Can't wait," Chuck growls as Bela stares at him. "What?"

"You tell me, what the hell happened with Sarah and you while I was gone?" she asks.

"What? Nothing, nothing happen-why would you-?" he asks, confused.

"Something happened," she says slowly, watching his face before remembering Casey standing next to her. "We'll talk about it later."

"She's being a little obvious, don't you think?" Chuck asks the three glancing over at Sarah and Lon.

"Relax, Chuck she's just doing her job," Casey says.

* * *

"I'll see you tomorrow," Bela says, kissing Casey before climbing out of the car.

"Hey," he says, quickly climbing out after her.

"Hmm?"

"You're not coming over?" Casey asks, frowning. "It's your first night back, I thought we could, you know..."

She glances at him, raising an eyebrow.

"We already have, within an hour of you seein' me again," she smirks. "Plus I'm tired from the flight, then work, then this mission?"

He pauses, watching her for a moment before nodding.

"What are you doing?" she sighs as he takes her hand in his.

"I'm staying with you tonight," he shrugs, pulling her down the sidewalk.

"You're stayin' at my place?" she asks, annoyed. "Casey, I just told you I'm exhausted."

"No sex," he whispers as they reach her apartment. "Not tonight, anyway."

"You say that now," she smirks as she unlocks her door, roughly pushing it open.

He stares at her, confused.

"It jams sometimes," she shrugs and he glances at the door frame as he enters.

"Sorry about the mess," she says, hanging her coat up as she switches the lights on.

"I have been here before," he says, glancing around.

"I know," she deadpans. "But now you're starin' at everythin'."

"Yeah, just admiring your decorum," he chuckles, nodding at the cardboard boxes scattered around the place.

"I'm still gettin' settled."

"After how many years?" he smirks. She shrugs and he lets the subject go.

"Want anythin' to drink?" she asks, filling a bottle up with water. He shakes his head, following her into her bedroom.

She watches him undress, unbuttoning her shirt before thinking of the still healing tattoo on her ribs.

"I'm gonna get changed in the bathroom," she says, grabbing a sweatshirt.

"All of a sudden you're shy?" he chuckles.

"There's just some things I need to do-in private," she says and he pauses, staring at her.

"You-you go do your, uh, lady business," he says and she lets out a laugh.

"You have a dirty mind Major Casey," she smiles before shutting the door. She quickly strips, taking a tube of ointment out of her medicine cabinet.

She rubs it onto the tattoo before pulling her shirt on, pausing as she sniffs the air. She growls at the smell of the ointment and grabs a bottle of perfume, spraying it around herself.

"You okay?" Casey calls as she coughs.

"Fine!" she yells, turning the tap on. She brushes her teeth, grabbing a box from the sink as she finishes.

"Son of a bitch!" she jumps as he joins her, resting a hand on her back.

"Why do you take these?" he asks, staring down at the birth control pills.

"Are you serious?" she asks, raising an eyebrow as she swallows the small prophylactic.

"You use condoms as well," he says, watching her.

"That's 'cause men are dirty and I don't know where they've been," she smirks, leaning up and kissing him.

"You don't need to use them with me," he says and she frowns. "The condoms, not the uh, pills."

"And you trust me?" she asks.

"I trust your medical records," he smirks, earning a smack across the head.

"Jesus Casey is nothin' private anymore?" she growls as he grabs her hand, pulling her back to him.

"You're perfectly healthy," he whispers, wrapping an arm around her waist. "Always have been."

"It's still none of your business," she frowns. He smiles, kissing her quickly before pulling back.

"No condoms," he says, closing the medicine cabinet.

"You think I trust you?" she asks, watching him pause in the doorway.

"You can trust me about this," he says.

She finishes up as he leaves, frowning as she runs a brush through her hair.

"It looks fine," he says, noticing her pausing mid-brush.

"Stop watchin' me," she mutters, switching off the light before joining him under the sheets.

He pulls her back against him as she turns off the lamp.

"Sure you don't want sex?" he asks, kissing her neck. She squirms against him, smirking to herself as he groans.

"I'm sure," she smiles innocently as he pulls her closer, wrapping an arm around her. "But ask me again in the morning."

"Sure thing, sweetheart," he grins.

She rests her hand on his arm, her eyes sliding shut as she feels his steady breath against her neck.

* * *

"What the-?" Chuck asks, staring at Bela and Casey as he tosses the trash in the bin.

"Hey, Chuck," Bela grins, walking over to him. He continues to stare at her, taking in her shorts and tank top.

"What are you guys doing?" he asks slowly, Casey continuing to polish his car as he ignores the two.

"I am finishin' washin' my heap of junk while Casey is havin' a little too much fun polishin' his," she frowns as they watch him.

"Watch your mouth, sweetheart," he growls, standing up. "She ain't no piece of junk-mine, that is."

"Here we go," Bela sighs, moving back to her car as Casey now joins Chuck.

"She's a 1985 Crown Victoria," he says. "But like a lady she doesn't like it when I talk about her age."

"I'm not really a car guy, so I don't really-" Chuck shrugs, glancing as Bela continues to wash her car. "Pretty, pretty shiny, though."

"Yeah, she's shiny!" Casey nods. "4.6 V8 engine, hydra glide transmission, reupholstered the prisoner containment area, even installed a state of the art GPS tracking system in the license plate; could locate this baby anywhere in the world in less than a minute."

"That's great, that's really great, Casey," Chuck says.

"Could buy ten more just like her with the money you pissed away on one spin last night," he growls.

"I knew you weren't gonna let that go, how did I know that?" he asks.

"Watch it!" Casey says as Bela begins rinsing off her car.

She stares at him blankly.

"Splash back."

"I am two spots down from your precious baby," she growls. "Get over it, Casey."

"I will shoot you," he warns as she pauses, glancing between the hose in her hand and his car.

"Wouldn't want splash back from my blood, that'd be a bitch to clean," she smirks, ignoring him as he considers this.

"You two are insane," Chuck says, drawing their attention to him.

"Ahh, you always knew there was a little crazy in me, Chuckles," she teases, throwing her sponge at him.

He dodges it, gesturing at his work clothes.

"Sorry," she laughs as he tosses it back.

"Uh, so what is exactly Sarah's mission on that guy's boat today?" Chuck asks, Casey turning to face him.

"Get close to Lon Kirk, by any means necessary," he explains.

"Wait," Chuck says slowly, glancing at Bela who was leaning against her car listening. "You means she's gonna go down there and _flirt_ with Lon Kirk alone? Do you have any idea what kind of message that gives?"

"Hmm," Casey says, grinning. "I hear Agent Walker can be quite the giver."

He laughs at Chuck's expression before being hit in the back of the head by a dripping sponge.

"Stop bein' an ass," Bela warns, glaring at him.

Casey growls, Chuck walking over to her as he turns back to his car.

"Are you coming with me in the herder?" he asks, staring at her soaked clothes.

"Uh, yeah," she says, pushing her hair back behind her ear. "I just gotta get changed."

"Ten minutes?" he asks and she nods as Casey joins the two.

"She'll meet you at your apartment," he growls, signaling for the other man to leave.

"I'll meet you in ten," Bela smiles as Chuck leaves the two alone.

"Here," Casey says, handing her a rag and some wax. She stares at him blankly.

"I'm not polishin' it," she shrugs. "Washin' it was enough."

"You're right, not worth polishing," he nods. She growls, turning to him.

"You gonna give me crap about the car that I worked my ass off for?" she asks, warning him. He backs off, nodding as he packs away his equipment.

"You're not the only one who gets defensive about their pride and joy. Now it may not mean much to you, Casey, but I love this car," she explains. "It's all I've ever wanted okay?"

"Sorry," he nods, staring down at her. "It's just not something I'd go for."

"Yeah, well neither am I, right?" she teases, leaning against it as he takes in her appearance. He moves closer to her, playing with the hem of her tank top. She places her hands over his, making sure they stayed in place.

"What's with the shorts?" he asks, staring at them.

"They're my yoga shorts," she says slowly.

"You do yoga?" he snorts.

"I did," she nods. "One time, with Ellie."

He chuckles, shaking his head as she leaves.

* * *

"Hey, hey, hey, oh, hey don't shoot!" Chuck says, both Bela and him raising their hands as Casey points a gun at them.

He immediately lowers it upon seeing her, glaring at Chuck.

"He made me come," Bela says, pointing at Chuck accusingly.

"You make me sad," he says, shaking his head at her. "What are you doing here?"

"Thought you might be hungry?" Chuck shrugs, holding up a bag. "You know, friend to friend kind of a thing... where's Sarah?"

"Oh that's it, you think your girlfriend's stepping out on ya," Casey growls, pulling Chuck roughly towards him. "Agent Walker is fine, doing her job, see?"

"Plus, we have a whole team here to back her up," Casey says, holding the binoculars up to Chuck's face. "Okay? So you can beat it, Bartowski."

"Oh my God, they're going down-" Chuck starts before flashing.

"Chuck, are you okay?" Bela asks, resting her hand on his arm as he drops the binoculars.

"They're loading counterfeit plates onto that boat; they're hidden in crates marked as aid medicines."

"What?" Casey asks.

"Yeah, I just flashed on a crate they just brought on board that's why Kirk just brought Sarah below deck."

"Bela?"

"I'm sorry, I didn't see," she says, shaking her head.

"This guy's important, Chuck we can't be wrong you sure?"

"I just flashed, I'm sure, okay?" Chuck growls.

"This is Casey," he says into his walkie talkie. "We're going in. Go."

* * *

"I'm in so much trouble," Chuck says, resting his head in his hands. Bela grabs two sodas from the fridge, joining him on the couch.

"You flashed, Chuck," she shrugs as he opens his can. "You can't fake a flash, well, I never have so I... uh... huh."

"I didn't fake flash!" he says, frowning. "But I was still wrong, I can't believe-Sarah's gonna be so mad."

"Yeah?" Bela says slowly, pursing her lips. "I think I got you beat on that one."

"You didn't see anything, why would Casey be mad at you?" he asks confused.

She clears her throat, pulling up her jumper.

"Wow," he says, staring at her wide eyed. "That-wow-ow?"

"Yeah, ow," she laughs, flinching as he touches the words on her skin. "And hey-hey, not healed yet!"

"Sorry," he says, not taking his eyes off of them. "It's-it looks great, Bells."

She pauses at the name, narrowing her eyes as she thinks for a moment.

"Oh, God, I'm sorry," he says, his eyes meeting hers as he realizes his error.

"No," she says slowly, shaking her head. "No, you know what? I'm okay, you can-you can call me Bells, it's okay."

"You sure?" he asks.

She nods, smiling as she pulls her jumper back down.

"It looks great, though," he says, nodding at her.

"Thanks," she smiles, the two looking up as the doorbell rings.

"You want me to stay?" she asks as he gets up.

"Please," he nods and she laughs.

"Ellie or Awesome home?" Sarah asks, storming in.

"No, they're at work," he says, shutting the door. "And hello to you, too."

"What the hell happened today?" she asks, glancing at Bela on the couch.

"I don't know, I don't get it-I had a flash," he shrugs.

"Right when I went below deck with Kirk, it's pretty convenient timing I would say."

"What are you talking about?" he asks, the two glancing at Bela as she curses.

"Broke the soda pull tab," she says quietly, moving into the kitchen.

"Just when you thought I was getting intimate with Kirk, you decided to have a flash," Sarah continues.

"What exactly are you implying that I faked the flash-that I'm a flash faker? Bela-"

"Bela didn't see anything!" Sarah yells, Bela glancing up at this. She had a knife stabbed into the top of her can, trying to cut open the tab with minimal noise. It wasn't working.

"You know, I think we need to discuss the fact that you let your emotions get in the way today."

"My emotions?"

"Things have been a little off since the incident, Chuck," she says quietly, once again glancing at Bela.

"I can go," she offers, Chuck signaling for her to stay. "Or stay right here, in this uncomfortable moment that won't end."

"Really, and what incident are you referring to Agent Walker because if it's the one where you planted a kiss on me right before a bomb was supposed to go off ending our lives, she knows about that okay?"

"So you've both discussed it, that's real nice," she says angrily. "Can we just not talk about it, please?"

"Yes, please," Bela mutters from the kitchen.

"Okay, fine, absolutely of course," Chuck says. "Just answer me one little thing; did you kiss me that night because you thought we were gonna die and mine were the most convenient lips around or was it actually about me?"

"What happened was a mistake," she says after a moment of silence. "One I will not make again."

She walks past him, slamming the door behind her.

"Help?" Chuck asks, staring at Bela.

She stumbles around the counter, following her out the door.

"Sarah, wait!" Bela says, catching up to her at the fountain.

"What?" she sighs, fighting back tears.

"Uh, I just-I just thought that you might need a friend, now, after that," she says slowly.

"I'm fine," she sniffs, taking a seat.

"You don't look fine," Bela frowns as she sits next to her. "It wasn't a mistake, was it?"

"No," Sarah says, shaking her head. "No."

"Then tell him," she urges.

"I _can't_ tell him," she hisses. "It's-it's unprofessional, it wouldn't work Bela."

"It's working fine for Casey and me," Bela smirks.

"That's different," she smiles. "You two are just having sex, right?"

"Right," Bela smiles, glancing across at Casey's apartment. "We're just having sex."

* * *

"Bela," Chuck says urgently grabbing her arm.

"Hey-I am with a customer," she says as he spins her around.

"You're watching monster trucks, there's no one anywhere near you," he says, shoving a photo into her hands.

"Hey, isn't that...?" she asks slowly, staring at the crates in the picture.

"Yeah," he nods. "Look, I showed Casey and he's not doing anything about it so I'm going to try Sarah."

"Do you want me to ask Casey again or come with you?" she asks.

"Both?" he asks hopefully and she sighs.

"I'll try, okay? I'll meet you at the Wienerlicious," she says before he nods.

"Casey?" she says, walking over to him.

"I'm busy," he growls, ignoring her as he turns back to his customer.

"Please," she tries again and he sighs, turning to her.

"Orders are orders, Bela, we're not going," he says before turning away again.

She growls, making her way out of the Buy More.

"Bela!" Chuck calls, Sarah and him meeting her outside.

"He's not coming," she says, shaking her head.

"I am, so come on," Sarah says, making her way towards the Nerd Herd cars.

"Sarah," Chuck says, nodding towards Bela's car.

"Mine's faster," Bela smirks, the three climbing into her car.

"This is real nice, Bela," Sarah says, pulling her belt on.

"Oh thanks, you know-"

"You know," Chuck interrupts, leaning over from the back. "Morgan and Anna? In trouble?"

"Right, sorry," the two apologize, Bela speeding out of the parking lot.

"So this is your car, Bela?" Sarah asks, Chuck rolling his eyes as the two return to this topic.

"Sure is," Bela beams, shifting gears. "Cost a bit but was worth it."

"It's great," she smiles, Chuck muttering in the back.

"Chuck of course isn't into cars like I am," Bela adds. "But I forgive him for that."

"Gee, thanks Bells," he says, rolling his eyes.

"We're here!" she yells, pulling into a spot before slamming on the breaks. Sarah and her quickly climb out.

"Alright, okay," Chuck says, stumbling out of the car.

"Suck it up, Chuck I've driven faster," Bela laughs, Sarah glancing at the two.

"I don't think I want to know," she smiles before the three run across the dock.

"Hey!" Casey yells, Bela stumbling at his voice and tumbling into Chuck.

"Casey, what are you doing here?" Sarah asks.

"Someone needs to protect the intersects, huh?" he smirks as he joins them.

"Well that's very thoughtful, thank you very much I guess," Chuck says.

"Plus I didn't want to miss any gun play," he smirks, resting a hand on Bela's back. "Come on."

They continue down the dock, stopping as they see Morgan on the boat.

"Look, there he is," Sarah says.

"There's a GPS missile tracking device on the ship," Bela frowns as Chuck and her flash. "They're gonna blow it up."

"Kirk's got his money, he's gonna bury the evidence," Casey explains.

"I'm king of the world!" Morgan screams, Bela and Chuck exchanging worried glances at the thought of losing their best friend.

"They're loading something onto Kirk's yacht," Sarah says.

"That's it, that's the missile launcher, they're gonna follow him out and use it to take out the-"

"Okay, we get the picture," Bela says, shooting him a distressed look. "We get it."

"Casey, I'm gonna create a diversion," Sarah says.

"I'll get the guards, you two-"

"Yeah, I know stay in the car we got it," Chuck says, turning.

"Not this time," the agents say, pulling them along.

"You're coming with me," Casey says, pulling Bela with him as Sarah explains the mission to Chuck.

"I really don't like all of this water," she frowns, clutching Casey's arm tightly.

"Suck it up," he says harshly, but tightens his grip on her as he helps her onto the ship. "Stay down and keep quiet."

She nods, watching as he moves forward.

"Oh, wow," Bela gasps as Casey tosses a man overboard.

"Stay down!" he hisses, knocking out another man coming towards them with a gun. They both pause as the rocket shoots from the boat, Bela pushing past him as Chuck runs up to them with the controls.

"Hey, hey, look, the rocket is guided by GPS software, all software can be reset," he explains, Bela joining him as he tries to reprogram the controls.

"Hurry up," Casey says.

"This... needs to be set at that..." Bela says, helping Chuck with the system. "That's it."

They both laugh as the rocket steers away from the boat Morgan was on.

"I can't believe that worked!" Chuck beams.

"Where's the rocket heading now?" Casey asks slowly.

"I don't know, we reset it," Bela says.

"You sure reset doesn't mean return to sender?" he asks as they stare at the rocket heading in their direction.

"Oh man, oh man, oh man," Chuck says.

"Enter another target!"

"Away from us!" Sarah adds.

"We need-we need another target first, with GPS coordinates!" Bela explains before biting her lip nervously. "Casey, what about your car?"

"No!" he yells.

"Come on, we're running out of time here just tell us what the GPS coordinates are for the Crown Vic!"

"Tell them, Casey!" Sarah orders.

"Tell us, Casey!"

"Seven, one, four, seven, seven," he growls, Chuck and Bela staring down at the controls as they enter in the numbers.

"Oh!" they yell, ducking as the rocket shoots over their heads.

"I hate this assignment," Casey mutters before it crashes into his car.

"We said we were sorry, right?" Bela asks quietly, Casey glaring at them before turning back to what was left of his car.

* * *

"Hey, buddy," Chuck says, Bela and him joining Morgan in the Buy More break room.

"Hey, guys," he sighs.

"How'd it go with Anna's family on the yacht?" she asks.

"Fine, until I got seasick and barfed," he explains, staring down at his hands.

"Was Anna freaked out?" Chuck asks.

"She rubbed my back while I puked, then brought me a warm cloth to clean the shrimp globs out of my beard," he says. "She is an amazing woman and I am a lucky guy."

"Is there any way you can say that to her instead of us?" Bela asks, smiling lightly.

"Yeah, I guess I could but that would leave me completely vulnerable you know, kind of like a sweet little puppy lying on his back waiting for his belly to be scratched, privates just kind of dangling there for everyone to see."

"That's... thanks for that," she says, leaning back in the chair as she tries to get that visual out of her mind.

"But, I can certainly give it a shot," he says, Chuck nodding reassuringly at him.

"Store's closed," Jeff says, walking in. "Time to get polluted."

"Let's go," Bela says, the three standing as they follow Jeff down the hallway, making it out in time for Big Mike's speech.

"As a reminder, I'll accept all gifts, cash, and cheques in my office or under the tree," he says. "Keep it clean, and be prepared to get down!"

"Are we getting wasted again this year?" Chuck teases, elbowing Bela lightly in the back as everyone starts dancing around them.

She laughs, pulling him towards her as they join the others.

"You know I don't do that anymore," she smirks, noticing Casey glaring at them.

"He's still incredibly angry at us, isn't he," Chuck says, following her gaze.

"Oh, yeah," she nods, laughing as his arms encircle her waist. "What are you doin'?"

"Adding fuel to the fire, apparently I'm living a little dangerously tonight," he chuckles, her hands covering his. "Plus, we love this song."

"We do," she smiles, turning around in his arms. She stares up at him, sighing. "Who'd of thought this time last year that we'd be super secret government ... intersects."

He laughs, taking her hand as he spins her out in front of her.

"Only in video games," he teases, causing her to laugh as well while he pulls her back in.

"Am I interrupting?" Sarah asks, their laughter dying down as she joins them.

"Hi, Merry Christmas," Bela smiles, pulling her into a hug before nodding at the two. "I'd better go handle Casey."

"Good luck with that," Chuck snorts before smiling down at Sarah.

"Hey," Bela says, joining Casey at the Nerd Herd desk.

He grunts, glancing at her.

"Still upset I see," she nods, watching as Sarah and Chuck dance.

"What if it was your car, huh?" he growls before shaking his head. "Sorry."

"It's fine," she says, taking his hand. He stares at her curiously as she pulls him with her into the theatre room, locking the doors behind them before dimming the lights.

"What are you doing?" he asks as she unbuttons her shirt.

"Making it up to you."

"It's gonna take a hell of a lot more than just sex," he says, staring at her appreciatively as she pulls her shirt off, leaving her tank top on as she begins to slide her skirt down. "And still, it was Bartowski who destroyed my car."

"You're really thinkin' about Chuck right now?" she asks, raising an eyebrow.

He chuckles, pulling her up against him.

"Son of a bitch!" she hisses, flinching automatically. He immediately freezes.

"You okay?" he asks, confused at her reaction.

"Fine," she whispers before cursing, growling as she removes his hands from her sides.

"No, you're not," he says, switching the lights on. "Bela!"

She curses again, seeing the fresh blood spotting through her tank top from her healing tattoo.

"What the hell happened?" he yells, moving over to her and pulling the material over her head.

"Surprise?" she asks, smiling up at him.

"You-that-they?" he stutters, staring at her.

"Tattoos," she nods. "Dad's friend did them."

"He-wh-he let you?" he asks, still taking it all in.

"You'd think with all your intel on the guy, you'd have better knowledge of him."

"Why would you do this to yourself?" he asks, watching her flinch as he dabs at the bleeding.

"You're really gonna give me a lecture about tattoos?" she asks, pushing his hands away. "After your lecture on drinking and sex?"

"It could get infected," he says, grabbing her clothes before opening up the table in the middle of the room.

"What are you doing?" she asks, watching him confused. He takes a bandage out before closing it up.

"Start getting dressed," he says before taking his ringing phone out of his pocket.

"Casey," he says, glancing at Bela pulling her skirt on as he listens to Beckman.

She moves over to him and he picks up the bandage, resting the phone in the crook of his neck.

"Roger that," he says, gently pressing the bandage against Bela's side before nodding at her to go. "I understand my orders, General."

He watches as she pulls her work shirt on, adjusting to the feel of the dressing taped against her skin.

"Yeah?" he snaps, Bela glancing at him before he closes his phone.

"Everything okay?" she asks, walking over to him.

"Everything's fine," he nods, resting his hand on her back.

"So you gonna tell me why I had to get dressed?" she asks, turning to face him. He pushes her back as he buttons up her shirt.

"I am not having sex with you until _that_ is healed," he says about her tattoo.

"You already have, though," she says, raising an eyebrow.

"Not knowingly," he frowns. "I mean it, until that's healed you're on your own sweetheart."

"We'll see how long that lasts," she smirks as he takes her hand, the two rejoining the party.

* * *

A/N: Casey cut Bela off and the next chapter? Neither of them are taking it well. Anyway, her tattoo needs to heal and until it does, no sex.

Also, Bela drives a Subaru Impreza WRX, which means she really did have to work her ass off for it. And it's pretty much a complete opposite of anything Casey would even take a second glance at, kind of like her.

Next chapter is the last one of season one, then we have the season two chapters that are filled with more characters to shake things up including Bryce returning as well as Bela's old best friend Jill. Please review!


	13. Chuck vs The Marlin

_A/N: Sorry this one took a little longer to get out. There were a number of unexpected things that needed to be taken care of when I came home from my holiday, but everything is getting back to normal now so these should be out pretty regularly. This is the last season one chapter and after this I'm going to go back and fix a couple of the earlier chapters before starting on the season two ones. Please review!_

* * *

"Bela," Casey nods, opening the door before leaving her and moving back into the kitchen.

"Casey," she nods.

He glances over at her when she doesn't move.

"What're you doing here, I'm giving you space," he reminds her, walking into the living room and taking a seat.

She stands in the doorway, her hands buried in the pockets of her coat.

"What do you need?" he asks, annoyed at her silence. She smirks, moving to stand in front of him as she plays with the tie around her waist.

"Nurse costume again?" he chuckles, swallowing hard as she lets the coat fall to the floor.

"Not this time," she smirks as his eyes travel down. She'd made sure the lingerie she wore covered the tattoo as reminding him of it would get her no where.

"You know," he says, clearing his throat. "This isn't gonna work."

"Hmm?" she asks, running a hand through her hair.

"What are you doing?" he asks his voice tight as he watches her move towards him.

"Nothin' you won't like," she whispers, sliding down onto his lap. He groans as she moves her hips against his, her hands quickly pulling his belt off.

"I said no sex," he growls, making no move to stop her actions.

"You say a lot of things," she teases as she unbuttons his pants, sliding down the zipper.

"Okay," he says, standing up as he pulls her to her feet. "I said no, Bela."

"I know," she grins, moving to rest on her knees.

"Isabela," he warns and she pauses for a moment before she pulls his pants and underwear down to the floor.

"Yes?" she asks innocently staring up at him as her hands slide up his thighs.

"Bela!" he groans, quickly opening his eyes.

"What?" Bela mumbles sleepily and he glances across at her.

He curses, pulling the sheets back off the both of them before jumping out of bed.

"Jesus, Casey," she says, sitting up as he rushes into the bathroom. "What?"

"Nothing," he snaps, turning the tap on. She wipes her eyes and stumbles out of bed joining him.

"You're flushed," she says before her eyes widen at the sight of his pajamas. "Ohh."

"Shut up," he says, splashing water on his face.

"You had a sex dream?" she snorts. He nods, drying his face.

"May I ask who it was about?"

"Like you don't already know," he says, moving past her.

"Me?" she asks. "Why Casey, I'm flattered."

"Anytime you want to shut up about this, I'm all for it," he growls.

"I'm just surprised," she says, gesturing at her shorts and tank top. "I'm not exactly dressed to impress, you know."

"Yeah, not now," he mutters, grabbing her water from the bedside table and downing half of it.

"Must have been one hell of a dream to shake you up like this," she says before frowning. "You sure it was about me, never had that effect on you before."

He stops her as she attempts to move past, pulling her flush against him.

"Feel that?" he growls, smirking as she nods quickly. "That is exactly the effect you have on me."

She leans up, kissing him slowly before he rests his hands on her hips, guiding her away.

"Good to know I have that effect on you," she smiles. "Except when it wakes me up."

He chuckles and kisses her again.

"You know," she smirks, looping her thumbs in the waistband of his pajamas. "I can take care of your problem if you like?"

"No," he says, his hands gripping her wrists. "I'm fine."

"Suit yourself," she smiles before climbing back into bed. She lies on her back, turning to look at him. "You coming?"

He watches her, his eyes slowly raking down her form before he clears his throat.

"I'll be in the bathroom," he says before slamming the door shut.

* * *

"You're getting sloppy, Casey-whoa!" Chuck yells, walking in on him and Bela out the back of the Buy More.

"Haa... hi Chuck," she smiles as Casey releases her, re-adjusting her clothing as they turn to him.

"I'm never gonna get used to that," he says, shaking his head. "But anyway, Casey I know you have some perverse desire to listen to everybody but you really need to be more careful with hiding the bugs."

"What are you lip smacking about, Bartowski?" Casey growls.

"I just found this on one of our product displays," Chuck says, holding up the bug. Bela grips Casey's arm as she flashes on it. "And not very well hidden I might add."

"Usually I'm a fan of your craftsmanship if not your methods. Look all I'm saying is that something like this being discovered by someone less in the know than Bela or me could spell trouble."

"You worry about the super computer in your brain, let me worry about the spy stuff alright?" Casey asks, quickly kissing Bela before he leaves.

Chuck stares at her, shaking his head.

"Sorry!" she laughs, grabbing his arm. "But any affection I get right now from that man I am taking."

"I get it, he's cut you off you don't need to keep reminding me," Chuck says, screwing his face up as he pushes the images of his best friend and Casey out of his mind. Again.

"Hey so anyway, Awesome's here," he says, leading her out.

"And Ellie?" she asks hopefully. Ever since Chuck and her became the intersects her time spent with Ellie had slowly decreased. To be honest Ellie and Anna were the only female friends she had apart from the occasional chats with Sarah, preferring to spend most of her time with the opposite sex as her friendship with Chuck and Morgan proved.

She just got along with them better as they were as lazy and childish as herself at times. But she missed the movie nights with Ellie, watching some romantic comedy or talking about their relationships. It was girly, but every once in a while it was what she needed.

"Just Awesome," he says and she sighs, following him to the Nerd Herd desk.

"Uh huh, yeah there's the best buddies of mine," Morgan says as they join him. "What's up!"

Bela laughs before leaning against the counter, staring at him.

"No," she says sternly.

"What-what, I haven't even asked yet guys come on!" Morgan says, glancing between the two. "Pre-released demo of the next Call of Duty game... come on!"

"Ahh, yeah," Chuck smiles. "But the last time I lent you a game sampler it ended up all over the internet so this one's gonna stay in my locker and you can play it when you get some adult supervision."

"Adult supervision? Chuck, I'm almost at the age where I should get my prostate checked annually okay?" Morgan explains, the others screwing their face up at this statement. "Surely I can be trusted with an advanced copy of the next greatest video game on the planet."

"Have you seen Awesome?" he asks.

"Over by the home theatre room," Morgan sighs, Chuck leaving the two alone.

"You know what?" Bela says, joining Morgan behind the desk. "Come over to Chuck's tonight, and we'll play the game."

"Ahh, there she is my Belsabub I knew you couldn't resist," he beams.

"I'll do it if you stop with that nickname," she says, smiling sweetly at him.

"But I like it," he frowns.

"Okay," she says before whispering under her breath. "Organ..."

"I like it less now," he says, glancing at her.

"Thank you," she says, smiling to herself before noticing Chuck and Awesome embracing. "Be right back."

She makes her way over, exchanging smiles with Devon as he passes her.

"What's with the bromance hugging?" she asks, causing Chuck to jump and nearly drop the small box in his hand. "What-what the hell is that?"

"I thought you'd know exactly what this is," he says once he turns to her. "And it's Devon's, not mine."

"Well I assumed that already," she smirks, following him into the break room. "When's he proposing?"

"He's just working out when to do it, and I am holding on to it until then," he smiles, placing it in his locker.

She quickly reaches in, opening the box.

"It's beautiful, I can't believe Ellie and Devon are getting engaged," she says, elbowing Chuck lightly. "This is... awesome."

* * *

"Hey," Casey says, letting himself into Bela's apartment. He raises an eyebrow at her sitting cross legged on the counter in her kitchen, mouthful of takeout as she went through her mail.

"If you're not here for sex then I suggest you leave," she mumbles, wiping her mouth.

"How could I resist that offer," he deadpans and she laughs briefly, rolling her eyes.

"Really, what are you doing here?" she asks, setting down the container of noodles.

"I'm your handler, I'm here to watch you," he says, taking a seat in her living room. She eyes him warily, groaning as he turns the TV onto some uninteresting documentary.

"Make yourself at home!" she calls, sighing as she resumes her dinner.

* * *

"Woah, cops," Bela says, pulling into the Buy More parking lot with Chuck. "Wonder what's going on?"

"I have no idea," he says slowly, looking around curious as they make their way to the doors.

"Hey, what's with the police presence outside?" Bela asks, pinning her I.D. onto her shirt as they join Morgan.

"They robbed the Buy More guys they took everything," he says glumly as the two look around in shock.

"They took everything?" Chuck asks, panicked.

"Everything," Morgan nods.

"Oh, please God no," Chuck says, running off in a hurry. Bela goes to follow before Morgan stops her.

"They took everything, Bela," he says, glancing up at her. She rests her hand on his shoulder reassuringly.

"Hey, I'll be right back," she says as Big Mike starts lining up all the employees. She makes her way down the hall heading straight to the break room.

"Hey, hey, hey did you-is it-," Bela says, running in before pausing.

"Well yeah, I'm good!" Chuck says, picking himself up from the floor. She watches him amused before glancing at the empty lockers.

"Please tell me it's in your pocket," she says slowly, frowning as he shakes his head. "Damn it."

"It's Devon's great granny's ring," he sighs. "I-how am I going to explain this?"

"Look, we'll sort it all out later okay?" she says, smiling up at him lightly. "But right now, Big Mike is rounding up all the employees so we should probably get out there."

He nods, following her silently down the hallway.

"Bartowski, Tiernan get over here!" Big Mike yells. "You're both suspects too. You all are!"

They both move to the middle of the line, glancing around at the others.

"Tiernan where's Casey? Aren't you two seeing each other?" Mike asks.

"Uh, yes sir. We-we are but uhm... I drove myself in today," she says honestly.

"Why don't you go find out why his ass is so tardy. Someone might find that suspicious," Mike orders.

"Of course sir, but uh... Chuck has my car keys which I think he left with Sarah and my car has my phone in it and-" she stutters.

"Take. Bartowski. With you!" he growls, the two hurrying out of the store.

"You are a terrible liar," Chuck tells her, pulling out his phone. "It's gonna get you fired one of these days."

"Only if I get caught," she shrugs.

* * *

"Finally," Casey growls, opening Bela's door for her after she pulls into the parking lot with Chuck.

"We hurried," she deadpans, Chuck moving around to join her.

"Just be professional," he whispers, watching as two other agents join them. "Remember that."

"Sure thing," she says, smiling to herself as the men stare at her car appreciatively before their gazes shift to her, their smiles widening.

"Eyes on the job," Casey growls, getting their attention. "Make sure her car's not bugged."

"Wait, what? How are they-what are they gonna do to my car?" she asks, panicked.

"We'll take care of it, promise," the younger of the two agents says, winking at her. She hesitates before handing over her keys.

"Come on," Casey growls, pulling her along as Chuck glances between the two.

"But my car," she frowns, glancing back at it.

"Your car will be fine," he says, stopping in front of a large warehouse.

"Son of a bitch!" Bela yells as the doors slide open, a few agents turning to look at her. She stares at all the stolen items from the Buy More.

"Real nice," Sarah smirks, joining them.

"It's the Buy More!" she continues.

"You robbed the Buy More?" Chuck asks.

"We had no choice," Sarah says as they follow her.

"No choice are you out of your minds, do you have any idea what's going on in the store right now?" Bela asks.

"That bug Chuck found, it isn't one of ours," Casey says.

"What bug, who ours?" Chuck asks confused.

"The one you found yesterday," Sarah says. "Casey only installed EM50s, the one you found was a GLG20, it requires a secondary recording device nearby to collect the data."

"What are you talking about?" Bela sighs.

"Someone is spying on us," Sarah explains, Bela freezing at this.

"Spying on us? Ehh, Casey?" she asks, staring up at him. "_Spying_?"

"Okay listen carefully the bug you found was not ours it belongs to an enemy agent probably Fulcrum and they planted it in the Buy More."

"Why?" Chuck asks.

"They're looking for the Intersect; they're looking for the two of you," Casey says. "We found a total of twenty nine bugs just like it, but we still haven't found the receiver."

"Okay," Chuck says nervously, glancing at Bela. "Okay, wow, extreme measures but decisive action had to be taken."

"Good luck schlepping all this stuff back to the Buy More," Bela says. "Uh, we're gonna get back there right now and pretend like we don't know anything, got any good tips for beating a polygraph?"

"Wait," Sarah says, stopping the two.

"What?" Chuck asks before realising. "Oh, duh yeah; can I get my sister's ring back-you guys are pretty damn thorough."

"You should be more concerned about not making it to her wedding," Casey says, Bela and Chuck quickly turning to look at him.

"Can I talk to you for a second?" Sarah asks, pulling him away.

"I don't like that," Bela says, nodding at the two. "Something's up."

"Like what?" he asks, frowning.

"Did you hear what he said? About not making it to Ellie's wedding? Something's going on, Chuck," she says, the two frowning as Sarah waves them over.

"This is the surveillance tape taken during the robbery," another agent says, leading them to the computer.

"There's nothing there, bad guy disabled the security system," Casey says.

"Wait," he says, the screen flicking on.

"Hey, there's Jeff and Lester!" Bela smiles. "And they are apparently drunk."

"It appears they've mistakenly turned the camera back on," Sarah says.

"Hang on a second, what's that?" Chuck asks, staring at the screen.

"That's the spy."

"He's the spy who spies on spies," Chuck says, Bela holding back a laugh. "Why would a Fulcrum agent want Big Mike's Marlin?"

"Those two dilweeds interrupted an actual robbery in progress," Casey says.

"The receiver's in the fish," Sarah nods.

"Marlin actually, you would call it a Marlin," Chuck says, the other guys agreeing with him as Bela and Sarah sigh.

"Look," she says, pointing at the screen.

"See, there you go done, our job here is done," Chuck laughs. "So now I'm sure you two super agents can figure out where the two drunken pinheads stashed the fish-Marlin, or Marlin. I'm gonna stick around here and try and find my sister's ring."

"Hey, Chuck," Sarah says, following the two. "Chuck, no ring came up in our inventory."

"What do you mean no ring came up in your inventory, you guys robbed the Buy More didn't you what happened to Awesome's great grandmother's ring?"

"We kind of have some bigger picture concerns right now," she says.

"What could possibly be bigger than me ruining the chances of my sister getting married?" he asks, Casey joining them.

"The receiver may contain information indicating that you and Bela are the intersects," she explains. The two stare at them blankly.

"Say it," Bela growls, glancing at Casey. "Say what you're not saying."

"If we don't locate the receiver in the next 24 hours," Sarah begins, pausing.

"You'll be stored in an underground bunker for so long you'll forget what fresh air smells like," Casey says. Bela stares up at him in shock.

"See, that was very gentle," he says as she runs off.

"I'd expect that for me, but not her," Chuck growls, following her.

"Go help them figure out where the Marlin is, okay?" Sarah sighs, glancing at Casey.

"Fine," he mutters, following them out of the warehouse. He spots Bela immediately, behind the wheel of her car and revving the engine. The two agents were eying her nervously as was Chuck.

"Any bugs?" Casey asks, joining them. They shake their heads in the negative, and he signals for them to leave.

"Get in the car, Bartowski," he says, quickly grabbing his arm and stopping him. "In the back."

"What are you doing?" Bela asks as Casey climbs in next to her. He could hardly hear her over the engine and her stereo.

"Going with you to the Buy More," he yells as Chuck climbs in, and she shifts the car into gear as soon as his door shuts.

"I don't have my seatbelt on!" he panics, quickly buckling himself in.

No one said anything on the quick drive back to the Buy More, other than the occasional anxious noise from Chuck at Bela's driving, or Casey's sighs as she took a corner far too fast.

He pulls off his seatbelt as she shuts the car off, the three climbing out and running to the store.

"There they are," Chuck points, Casey and Bela following him to Lester and Jeff.

"Jeff, Lester we gotta talk it's important," Bela says, watching the two thumb wrestle.

"Would love to babe but-oh, he is taking him over the top!" Lester says, ignoring her completely as he starts beating Jeff.

"Alright, okay," Casey growls, pulling the two with him into the theatre room.

"Easy on the shirt, nark," Jeff says as he releases them.

"Where's the fish?"

"Fish, what fish?" Jeff asks.

"Okay we can do this the easy way or the hard way, the easy way is I shove his foot up your ass," Casey says.

"What's the hard way?"

"I use my foot."

"Look, we've seen the surveillance footage guys, okay? We know you were here last night," Chuck says.

"Yeah, right," Lester says.

"You two geniuses thought you were turning the cameras off, but instead you turned them back on," Casey explains.

"We won't say anything to Big Mike, I promise," Bela says.

"Okay," Casey says at their silence, shutting the curtains.

"What's happening?" asks Lester anxiously.

"Will you give us a few minutes, please?" Casey asks Chuck and Bela.

They nod, Lester reaching out towards Bela before Casey moves between them.

"It was his idea!" Jeff yells, pointing at Lester.

"What? The whole reason we snuck in was to get your alcoholic ass another drink, you were getting the shakes!" Lester says.

"Not cool, it's a disease."

"You're a disease!" Lester yells. "And you've diseased us all, me, Chuck, Bela, this guy."

"Calm down, calm down," Bela says. "Look Jeff, I totally understand your plight, we sympathize with you okay? And we don't judge; just tell us what exactly happened."

Casey sighs, rolling his eyes as they tell the story. He glances briefly at Bela, his chest tightening as he runs his eyes over her. He did miss her, more than he cared to admit.

"And that friends, is the story of the missing Marlin," Lester says, throwing an arm around Bela's shoulders and snapping Casey out of his thoughts.

"And where's the Marlin now?" Bela asks, smiling across at Lester.

"Ahh, I'm afraid I'm gonna need a little compensation," he says, Casey leaning across and twisting his ear. "Chuck's! We took it to Chuck's pad!"

"What? My apartment, why?" Chuck asks as Casey lets go of his ear.

"We didn't want to get busted with Big Mike's fish," Jeff says.

"I'm gonna need lotion," Lester says, still holding his ear.

* * *

"The oven? Really, Casey? We're looking for a Marlin," Bela says, staring at him.

"I notice you haven't found it either," he growls, grabbing a knife and walking over to her.

"Woah!" Chuck says, joining them. "I seriously doubt that these geniuses had time to reupholster the couch."

"It's gotta be here somewhere," he says, lifting up the couch where Bela was on her hands and knees looking under it.

"Thanks," she mumbles, the two staring at Ellie as she walks in.

"Bela?" she asks.

"Hey, Ellie," she says.

"Chuck, John," she says. "What are you three up to? What's going on with the apartment?"

"I'll clean it up later, right now we're looking for something," Chuck says.

"What is it?"

"Look, I promise you whatever it is you want to talk about is not as important as what we're looking for right now," Chuck says, Bela getting to her feet.

"Okay, what are you looking for?"

"A stuffed fish," Bela shrugs.

"A fish."

"Marlin, actually about four feet long, got a spear-like nose," Casey explains.

"Okay, Chuck, I get it besides if anything really important were going on you have plenty of people in your life that you could talk to about it," she says, walking into the kitchen.

"Hey, Ellie, wait," Chuck says, rushing over to her as Casey and Bela tidy up the living room.

"I love you," Chuck says, pulling her into a hug. "Just in case."

"Just in case of what?" she asks.

"Uh, just in case I can't find the fish," he says, the two pulling apart.

"I suppose you haven't talked to Morgan?"

"No, why?" he asks.

"Because he left here last night with a four foot long Marlin," she sighs.

"He's mine," Casey whispers to Chuck and Bela.

* * *

"There he is," Chuck says, pointing out Morgan across the room.

"Tiernan!" Big Mike yells, stopping the three as she looks over. "You're up!"

"It's okay, we've got Morgan," Chuck says, patting her on the back.

"I've got the scraggly troll, he'll tell me the truth without you there," Casey says, walking past Chuck.

"You can take my place if you'd like?" Bela smiles before sighing as he shakes his head and making her way into Big Mike's office.

"Take a seat," Conway says, Bela sitting quietly as the two stare down at her.

"Look, I didn't rob the store," she says, staring up at them.

"Did I ask you that?" Big Mike says before turning to Conway. "Already she's talking about stolen goods; you might as well come out and admit you did it!"

"Please, let me handle the investigation," an annoyed Conway says before turning back to Bela. "Now, Miss Tiernan; we believe this was an inside job."

"None of these imbeciles could even tie their shoes without Tiernan or Bartowski's say so, if there's a ringleader, you're looking at her! Where's my fish, Tiernan?"

Conway sighs at Big Mike's outburst, Bela smiling up at them before shrugging.

"Conway," he says, answering his ringing phone. "Excuse me, I have to take this."

They nod, Bela watching him leave as Big Mike leans down towards her.

"You don't wanna talk, Tiernan?" he asks, Bela saying nothing as she glances at him. "We'll just have to turn the heat up on you."

She sighs as he leaves, leaning back in the chair as she stares at the other employees through the blinds.

She chuckles at the delivery girl's outfit as Jeff and Lester rush over to her.

"Twenty nine deliveries, twenty nine bugs," she mutters to herself, continuing to watch them. "Wait a second."

She turns and stares at the roof, glancing out the blinds again before climbing onto the shelving and pushing loose the tile. She bends her foot up onto the filing cabinet before pulling herself through the hole.

"Ow, ow, ow," she mutters, stumbling around all the wires and tubing in the ceiling.

She glances out through the air vent and sees the delivery girl still there.

"Okay, alright," she nods, staring down through the hole after removing another tile. "I can make that."

She grips the sides firmly, slowly lowering herself down until she was hanging completely down.

"Where's the floor?" she whispers, arching her neck to glance down, her fingers slipping and her knees connecting with the ground. "Son of a bitch!"

She looks up, frowning as she considers how to get back up there later.

"What are you doing?" Chuck yells, causing her to jump.

"I'm-I'm, hi!" she says nervously, glancing behind him for anyone else.

"Bela what are you doing, you'll get caught!" he says as she gets to her knees, pulling off the cover of the air vent in the wall.

"Boobies," she says, taking the disc out.

"What?" he yells, kneeling next to her. "Why do you need that?"

"I'll explain to you later, right now I need you to help me get back up there," she says, pointing to the ceiling.

His eyes widen at the hole and he glances at her.

"Can't I go get Casey to come and-"

"No!" she frowns, pulling him towards her. "Now lift me up."

She puts the disc in her mouth and grips his shoulders as he heaves her up above his head, her knees coming to rest on his shoulders as she reaches for the ceiling.

"Your skirt is covering my eyes, Bela I can't see!" he says, stumbling. She quickly pulls herself up, taking the disc from her mouth as she looks down at Chuck.

"Thanks," she smirks, quickly setting the tile back in place before making her way back to Big Mike's office.

She climbs down onto the cupboard, pulling the tile back before jumping down and sitting back in front of the desk, slipping the disc into the laptop.

"And those are mine," she says, fast forwarding through the videos of women's cleavage before stopping at a set. "Bingo, good thing Jeff and Lester are perves."

She composes an email to Sarah, quickly attaching the video before sending it. She curses herself for having no pockets before shoving the disc down her shirt, flipping the laptop shut before relaxing back into the chair as Big Mike and Conway open the door.

"I can see you're sweating it," Big Mike notes.

"So, you ready to tell us what happened here last night?" Conway asks.

"I'm telling you guys I have no idea," she says.

"Fine, there's other ways to make you talk," he threatens. "Time to send you back to gen pop."

Bela stares at him confused as he walks out, bragging that she'd told him everything before he calls Casey in.

"Are you gonna tell me what just happened?" Chuck asks, joining her.

"The pita girl, she's the spy-at least I think she is it all makes sense, Chuck," she explains. "There were twenty nine bugs found right? She's made twenty nine deliveries in the past month, it all adds up."

"You mean the pita girl who just left?" he asks, the two look over at the empty desk.

"Damn it," she growls as Morgan joins them.

"Morgan, we need to talk," Chuck says.

"Hey Chuck, it's okay man I know about you and Sarah and how she's more than just your girlfriend," he says as Chuck's phone rings.

"Morgan, stay," Chuck says, taking the call.

"I can't believe you took the Marlin," Bela says, glaring at Morgan. He stares at her confused.

"Um, Bela, what's with your shirt?" he asks, pointing to the odd shape under her clothes.

"What?" she asks, looking down before remembering the disc and taking it out.

"Boobies?" chuckles Morgan, reading the title. "Something you're not telling me-ow!"

Morgan rubs the back of his head as Chuck rejoins them, looking even more panicked.

"What am I gonna do," he sighs.

"Hey do nothing, you haven't given Sarah the ring yet dude there's plenty of time to call this whole thing off," Morgan says, Bela and Chuck looking at him.

"Sarah, ring?"

"Yeah the ring you got Sarah, the ring I kinda took out of your locker," he sighs.

"You mean the ring that _Awesome_ got for _Ellie_?" Chuck growls.

"Ohh, thank god man! I thought I lost you pal!"

"Morgan, where is the ring?" Chuck asks, gripping Morgan's head.

"It's kinda complicated and I-" he starts before Bela slaps him hard across the face. "It's in the freezer at the Wienerlicious I put it into Big Mike's marlin and I uh I was gonna put it back... ow!"

Bela quickly follows Chuck as he takes off out of the store and to the Wienerlicious.

"Sarah?" she calls, Chuck kneeling next to the broken Marlin on the floor. "Hear that?"

They both make their way into the back, seeing Sarah locked in the freezer.

"Sarah?" Chuck asks.

"Lizzie's the mole, she got the receiver," she says, ceasing her banging on the freezer door.

"Oh my God Sarah it's over they're gonna stick us in some tiny cell with no windows," he says, Bela's mouth falling open.

"Okay guys I need you to focus we can get Lizzie if you can get me out of here," Sarah says.

"How?" Bela asks, staring down at the lock.

"I keep a backup piece in the jar of horseradish sauce," she explains.

"Horseradish, who puts horseradish on hotdogs?" Chuck asks as Bela moves past him, pulling the lid off of the jar and frowning.

"Oh, _no_," she says, glancing up at Sarah.

Chuck laughs nervously as he looks over her shoulder into the jar.

"Someone shoot the lock!" Sarah yells, Chuck jumping and quickly taking the gun out.

"Um, um, look Sarah I've never fired a gun before and I've actually done this on purpose to avoid any unpleasant side effects like shooting myself or others," he explains.

"Just shoot the lock or I will shoot you when I get out of here!" Sarah growls.

"Okay, get back-ready? Get back," he says, aiming the gun at the lock. "One, two..."

"Why would you close your eyes?" Bela asks, watching him amused.

"Take the safety off first!" Sarah says.

Chuck nods, mistakenly releasing the clip instead.

"Chuck!" Bela laughs, kneeling to pick it up as Chuck holds the gun.

"Bartowski, Big Mike said I'd find you here," Conway says, walking in on them.

"Drop the gun, Bartowski now!" he yells, holding his own weapon on the two of them.

"No, no, no need to shoot that's not our gun," Bela says, her hands in the air as she gets to her feet.

"My girlfriend is locked in the freezer and if you let her out then she can explain everything," Chuck says.

"Okay, let's go," Conway says, moving them out of the store.

"Look she's right there!" Bela yells, pointing behind him.

"Come on, move," he says.

* * *

"You're not a cop," Chuck says after Bela and him flash on Conway's codename.

He glances in the mirror, shaking his head.

"Then are the cuffs really necessary?" Bela asks, holding up her wrist that was chained to Chuck's.

"So, this is it huh?" Chuck asks. "Gonna get my own padded cell... do I get a bed or is the whole room kind of like a bed?"

Bela frowns, staring out the window.

"It's not as bad as it sounds," Conway says. "The underground complex where you'll both be living has state of the art security and amenities. You'll even be allowed outside to visit controlled locations."

"Like Colorado?" Bela mutters bitterly to herself, her thoughts returning to the prospect of never seeing her father again.

"We can't leave without telling our families something, a reason for going-what should we say?" Chuck asks.

"Nothing," he says. "It's safer for them if you just, disappear."

"You know what everyone's gonna think," Bela smirks, Chuck turning to her. "That we ran away together."

Chuck returns her smile, shaking his head.

"Yeah they are. It's better than the truth, though," he says and she nods. That was true.

"We're here," Conway says, stopping the vehicle. He climbs out before opening their doors, the two carefully climbing out with their wrists still chained together.

"The roof," he says, nodding for them to move forward.

"It's always something on the roof, isn't it?" Chuck jokes, trying to get a smile out of Bela. She indulges him, the corners of her lips shifting up.

"The package is ready for extraction, send in the chopper," Conway says, following Bela and Chuck up to the roof.

"Longshore!" Sarah yells, running up the stairs behind them.

"Is there a problem Agent Walker?" he asks.

"Sarah, thank God you're here look I don't wanna go yet-neither of us do," Chuck says, staring at her helplessly.

"Agent Casey is tracking the Fulcrum mole and he should have her in custody soon so we can hold off on the transfer for the time being," she explains.

"If there was a change in the operation I would have been contacted," Conway says. "I have my orders."

"We don't have to do this; this is a judgement call okay? We can just hold them here until we know for sure."

"Their cover's were blown, they're gone!"

"No! I will take full responsibility-they're my assets, they're my guys," Sarah says, Bela pulling a face at this before glancing at Chuck. His eyes were still on Sarah. "Just give us more time, please?"

"I'd appreciate it, I really would," Chuck says.

"Please don't do this," Sarah says, her hand fingering the gun in the back of her jeans.

"Okay, you've got one minute," he sighs, moving away from the two as she removes her hand from the weapon.

"We're not ready Sarah, we're not ready to disappear," Chuck says.

"No, I know that," she nods.

"I need you to talk to Ellie, and to Morgan and my friends... and tell them... I don't know," he sighs. "Look if I'm supposed to be dead just say something that will make it okay, that will make them feel alright-just make sure they know how much I love them. You can do that, right?"

Sarah nods, and Bela wipes the tears from her eyes as she looks away.

"Of course you can, you're Sarah you can do anything," he says. "And hey, there's a silver lining to this, too you know? 'Cause we're not working together anymore which means, we can go on a date! You can come by my cell, and we can hang out and you can tell me who the president is. And maybe, uh, maybe we can see how we really feel."

"Time's up," Conway says, Bela sighing a little in relief as she'd moved away from the two as far as possible while still being cuffed to Chuck. Her arm was outstretched and the cuffs pinched.

"Goodbye, Sarah," Chuck says, and a tear falls down Sarah's cheek as he moves away.

"Goodbye," Bela says, smiling slightly at her as they move away.

"Guys," she says, and they turn to her. "Save you later."

Bela gasps, Conway's weight pressing down on her as he's shot.

"Get down!" Sarah yells, her gun being shot out of her hand as Lizzie chases them.

"Oh!" Chuck yells, Sarah hurriedly following Bela and him down the stairs.

"I listened to the receiver," Lizzie says as they hide.

"She knows," Chuck and Bela whisper, their eyes wide.

"Do you know how many agents are looking for Bryce Larkin? And all this time, the intersect was here," Lizzie continues, the three quickly moving as she gets closer. "Wait until my superiors find out, especially with there being two."

"Look, what if we surrender, and you run? I mean we're going in a cell anyway, what's the difference?" Chuck asks, Bela nodding in agreement.

"Torture."

"Okay, no surrender," he says and Bela shakes her head.

"I only have one question, Chuck. Who's the ring for?"

"She has Ellie's engagement ring!" he whispers.

"Guys, distract her," Sarah says, moving away from them.

"What, how?" Bela asks before standing up, Chuck joining her. Lizzie turns to them and they quickly make a run for it, back up the stairs to the roof.

"I'm not gonna go away!" she yells.

"Okay, look you really want to take us in?" Bela asks. "You're gonna have to sweeten the deal a little bit for us then."

"Hey, look the CIA they've offered us a nice padded cell, real cush can you beat that?" Chuck asks. "I'm a guy who enjoys a good steam; can you do maybe a steam room or something?"

"I don't think you're really in a position to bargain," she says, a gun aimed at each of them. "I have two guns, what do you have?"

"Me," Sarah says, tackling Lizzie to the ground. One of the guns fires, the bullet hitting Bela in the shoulder.

"Oh!" Chuck says, watching them before realizing what just happened. "Oh!"

"Oh-Ouch!" Bela cries, her hand lightly touching her shoulder.

"Blood," Chuck gags, pointing at her hand as he tries to move away from her, the cuffs holding him in place.

She bites her lip, the pain shooting down her arm in waves.

He quickly shifts as Sarah and Lizzie move towards them, rolling on the ground.

"Bartowski, get out of the way!" Casey yells, coming up the stairs.

"Casey, thank God!" he yells, turning to him.

"Get down!" he yells before reaching them.

Sarah and Lizzie go over the side of the building, the three quickly moving to the edge.

"Had a feeling that girl was dirty," Casey says after Sarah punches Lizzie out. He turns to Chuck and Bela, his eyes widening.

"Hey," Bela says, her hand clamped over her shoulder as the blood trickles through her fingers.

"Damn it!" Casey growls, shoving his gun into his pants as he moves towards her.

"It's fine-ah!" she yells, slapping him across the face as he presses against the injury. Chuck stares at the two amused before Casey reaches into his pocket, taking out a key and unlocking the cuffs.

"Finally," they sigh, rubbing their wrists.

"Woah, hey!" Bela says as Casey rips open her shirt.

"Bullet's still in your shoulder," Casey observes, Chuck gagging at this.

"It's in my shoulder?" she cries, moving to look but flinching from the pain.

"You're losing blood, I need to get you taken care of," he says, doing up a couple of buttons on her shirt before guiding her down the stairs.

"Are you okay, Bela?" Sarah calls from the dumpster.

"Just awesome!" she beams, Casey pushing her along as her pace slows.

"I'm gonna go get her stitched up," he says, Sarah nodding as Chuck joins her.

"I'll come see you as soon as I find Ellie's ring," he promises.

"Don't worry about me, Chuck," she says, smiling up at him. "Go get your sister engaged."

He nods, shutting her door before running back over to Sarah.

"Are you right?" Casey asks, starting up the car and pulling out onto the road.

"Fine," she mumbles, watching the blood trickle down her arm.

He glances at her, noting her considerably paler complexion.

"Casey, slow down," she says, gripping the door handle slightly. He ignores her, even speeding up some more. "John!"

"You're not... I won't let you... you _are_ going to be fine," he says.

"Unless you get us killed right now!" she sighs, turning to him.

"Just let me drive!" he growls, but slows down slightly to keep her calm.

"It's not as bad as it looks," she shrugs, regretting the action immediately as the pain courses through her arm.

She rests her head against the window, staring out at the other cars and lights.

"Bela!" Casey yells, causing her to jump.

"What?" she growls, her eyelids feeling heavy.

"You can't go to sleep sweetheart, you have to stay awake for me," he says, and she turns her head to face him.

"Where are we going?" she asks, watching him.

"My place, where I can fix you up," he explains. "I've got everything I need to take care of that."

She nods, her eyes drifting back to the window again before everything went black.

"Bela!" Casey screams, her eyes snapping open. She stares up into his panicked eyes as he lets out a breath, pulling her to him. Letting out a gasp from the pain in her shoulder, she looks around at the different surroundings. They must have reached Casey's apartment as she was now sprawled across his bed.

"You scared the shit out of me!" he growls, pulling back to stare into her eyes again.

"I'm sorry, I must have passed out," she whispers. His lips press lightly against hers before he pulls away, moving into the bathroom.

She sits up slowly, watching as he returns with a bucket of warm water and some cloths. There were clean bandages on the bedside cabinet. And forceps.

"This is gonna hurt, isn't it," she frowns. He follows her eyes to the forceps and nods.

"I'll try and be quick," he promises and she sighs, pulling her shirt off. "Just relax."

"Relax, sure," she says sarcastically, staring at the other side of the room as she feels his hands against her skin, moving her bra strap down and out of the way.

"I'm sorry, sweetheart," he growls before twisting the bullet around.

"Casey!" she cries, gripping his arm painfully. He continues the movement, holding the forceps hard as he yanks the small slug out of her skin.

She gasps, falling back away from him as he releases her arm.

"Sorry," he says, staring into her eyes apologetically.

She ignores him, staring down at the fresh blood trailing down her skin.

"Here," he says, pressing a damp cloth over the wound. She flinches, her hand replacing his as she finishes cleaning herself up.

"Do I need stitches?" she asks and he shakes his head, picking up a small bandage.

"This will work fine," he says, gently pressing it against her now clean skin. He tosses all of the stained items into the bucket, Bela watching him the entire time.

"Can I sleep now?" she asks when he returns from the bathroom.

"Sure," he nods, moving next to her. He pulls the sheet up over her, kissing her softly before her eyes slide shut. He stays with her a few moments longer until her breathing steadies before slowly leaving the room.

"How is she?" Sarah asks as Casey joins her outside of Chuck's apartment.

"She's sleeping, but fine. I managed to get her fixed up, was just a flesh wound," he says. Sarah nods.

"We can only keep them here for so long," he says. "You realize that don't you?"

"Do you?" she asks, glancing at him. "I know it's more than just sex, Casey. It has been for a while now."

"Did she tell you that?" he asks.

"She didn't have to."

"When the time comes, I'll do what I have to."

"Can you?" she asks, looking up at him.

"It's my job," he says, staring through the window.

* * *

A/N: And that's the last of the Season One chapters. I'm going to have one or two filler chapters up before I start with the next season and I'll also be going back and tweaking the first couple of chapters as well. But that should all be done within the next couple of weeks and then the Season Two chapters should start going up. Please review!


	14. Chuck vs Employee Health

A/N: This is just a short fill in chapter before I start the Season Two ones. It's set a month or so after the last chapter, so Bela's gunshot and tattoo are definitely healed by now.

* * *

"Bartowski!" Casey yells, pushing open his window roughly.

"You really need to start using the phone or the front door like a _normal_ person would," Chuck growls, glaring over at Casey while pausing his video game.

"Real funny, where's Bela?" he asks, looking around the room.

"Not here, obviously," he mutters, swallowing hard as Casey takes out his gun. "She went for a run with Sarah, they should be back soon."

"She's not healed yet, she shouldn't be doing anything," Casey growls.

"Yeah, try telling Bela that-she gets antsy when she can't work out."

"I didn't know she worked out at all."

"Have you seen what she eats?" Chuck laughs. "Of course she works out; you've seen the treadmill in her living room."

"Maybe you should join her some time," Casey says, nodding at Chuck clutching the game controls.

"Haha," he says sarcastically, standing up as he hears Sarah and Bela outside. He climbs out the window, Casey already making his way over to the two.

"Agent Walker, are you _trying_ to kill the Intersect?" Casey growls.

"Is there a problem?" Bela asks, gaining Casey's attention as she stretches her arms up, retying her hair. His eyes travel down her body, staring appreciatively at her crop top and shorts before lingering on her tattoo.

"You're still healing," he says, his eyes moving to the scar tissue on her shoulder.

"I've been fine for a couple weeks now Casey, and Sarah said-"

"She's completely healed, both from her tattoo and the gunshot so give her a break," Sarah says, annoyed at Casey's attitude.

"Good run?" Chuck asks, trying to break the tension.

"You should join us some time," Bela smiles, Casey snorting at this. "What?"

"Told him the same thing," Casey says, Bela raising an eyebrow.

"Are you sure your shoulder is healed, it looks sore," Chuck says, turning the conversation back on Bela.

"What?" Casey says, moving closer to her.

'I will kill you,' she mouths to Chuck as Casey ushers her towards his apartment.

"Well that was mean, Chuck," Sarah says, moving next to him. He sighs and she follows him into the apartment.

"I was just defending myself... sort of," he says, offering her a water. She thanks him, downing it quickly. "Bela is healed though, she's okay right?"

"She's fine, Chuck," Sarah smiles reassuringly. "If she wasn't, I wouldn't allow her to work out."

"Good, that's good," he nods, smiling back at her.

"You're very protective of her," she says, watching him carefully.

"Do I detect a hint of jealously?" he teases, his eyes widening as she blushes lightly, only just noticeable against her flushed complexion.

"Just curious," she says and he nods, hiding his smile.

* * *

"How are you feeling, are you hurting?" Casey asks, following Bela closely into the apartment.

"I'm thirsty, but that's understandable," she says, ignoring his concern.

"Bela, would you just look at me!" he yells.

"What's your problem?" she yells back, turning to him. His eyes travel down to her tattoo again before he meets her eyes. "That again. Jesus Casey deal with it, okay?"

She moves away from him, leaning into his fridge before taking out a bottle of water.

"Do you hate it that much?" she asks, watching for his reaction. He moves closer to her, his hand running slowly up her side before resting on the ink.

"I just haven't seen it healed yet," he whispers, running his fingers over the lines. "I haven't seen _you_ healed yet."

"You're the one that's been holding out on me," she smirks.

"Yeah, until you were healed. And now you're spending more time with Sarah than with me. How come you work out so much, anyway?" he asks, watching her down the rest of the water.

"Because I _love_ food," she laughs, turning back to him. "One of the many things I have in common with my dad. And I've only started working out more because you won't have sex with me and I've been _frustrated_."

He chuckles at this, moving over to her.

"Well you're all healed up now, aren't you?" he whispers, kissing her shoulder. She shivers, her smile growing.

"I'm gonna take a shower," she says, pulling away. He smirks, moving to follow her until she stops him. "Alone."

"Alone?" he asks in disbelief.

"Now that I'm healed and I know that you _want_ me again-"

"Hold up, you know damn well I've always wanted you, I just wanted you healed completely so I wouldn't hurt you."

"Whatever, point is it's up to me now," she smirks and he raises an eyebrow.

"It's like that now, is it?" he asks slowly.

"It's like that now," she nods, moving away before he grabs her arm lightly.

"Then by all means if it's like that, go use your own shower."

She stares up at him in disbelief.

"My shower?" she asks, frowning. "With the crappy water pressure and unreliable temperature?"

He nods.

"Fine," she sighs, grabbing the empty water bottle. "But I'll remember this."

"I'm sure you will," he chuckles as she leaves.

* * *

"What's up, why aren't you changed?" Bela asks, joining Sarah in the Orange Orange.

"I'm working longer than I thought," she says, biting her lip.

"What? You get to choose when you work," Bela says confused.

"Uh, Casey said he'd be training you today," she says, smiling nervously.

"Are you serious?" she asks, jumping slightly as Casey walks out from the back.

"Absolutely," he nods, Sarah glancing between the two.

"Fine," she groans, waiting for Casey to join her. She looks up as he moves out the back again.

"Are you coming?" he calls.

"Coming where, the freezer?" she asks confused, Sarah shooting her a smile as she walks past.

She follows him out the back, watching curiously as he opens a series of doors, some needing retinal detection she noted.

"This is, uh, new," she mumbles as he pulls her through the door.

"CIA decided to spring for new digs, finally a first rate operation," he says as she follows him down the stairs.

"Okay," she nods, looking around as Casey types some things into the computer.

She follows him down the hallways, stopping as he moves into a larger room.

"Sweet," she mutters to herself, looking around at all the equipment. Weights, punching bags, mats.

"So you ready, sweetheart?" he asks, watching her unzip her shirt.

"Hell yeah," she grins, her eyes widening as he pulls off his own shirt.

"What?" he asks, noticing her gaze.

"You're not wearing a shirt," she states, swallowing hard as she runs her eyes over him.

"Neither are you," he points out, and she glances down at herself.

"It's a sports bra, it counts," she says, pulling her track pants up a little.

"Yeah, it counts," he smirks, the two of them moving to the centre of the room.

He tosses her a pair of gloves before pulling on his own.

"You want me to hit you?" she asks and he nods. "Okay then, got some rules?"

"Don't kick me in the crotch and we're good," he says, moving into a stance.

"Got it," she smirks, quickly throwing a jab at his head followed by an uppercut as he ducks.

She blocks a punch, throwing a hook which he quickly averts before she connects with a rising knee strike.

"Not bad," he says, the two moving back into their stances.

She smirks, biting her lip before extending her leg in a hook kick. He moves out of the way before connecting her side with a half swing. She coughs before attempting a straight knee thrust towards his groin.

"I think you're enjoying this a little too much," he smirks and she laughs, brushing her hair back out of her face.

"Nah," she grins, raising her arms and moving back into her stance. "Just a little."

He chuckles, defending himself against her punches until she throws an overhand at his head, connecting hard and fazing him slightly.

He moves behind her, grabbing her quickly.

"I hold your arm like this, what are you gonna do?" he growls, pulling one arm up behind her back. She hisses, arching her back and resting her head on his shoulder.

"This isn't working," he whispers in her ear. She takes his brief distraction and throws a back fist at his head before turning and sweeping his legs out from under him.

"I think it's working just fine," she grins as she pins him down.

"Where...?" he asks as she leans over him.

"Learnt kickboxing when I was a kid, did it for years even in college," she smiles, moving to get up but he pulls her back down.

"Why?" he asks curious.

"Why not," she snorts. "You should have brought me here earlier; all of this stuff is, well, awesome."

"We've only just got set up," he explains watching her carefully before pushing her up, pulling her to her feet with him.

"Where are we going?" she asks, following him into another room.

"You need to learn to shoot," he answers, handing her ear plugs and ear muffs.

"I know how to shoot a gun," she says, staring up at him.

"You what?" he asks, pausing.

"My dad goes shooting; he took me a lot of the time. I can shoot a gun," she says, shrugging. "Mostly rifles, but I know my way around a gun."

"Show me," he says, handing her the weapon. She stares up at him curiously before taking it, putting in the plugs before he sets the earmuffs on her head.

She loads it before taking off the safety.

"Block your ears," she smirks before firing at the targets he'd provided.

"Damn it," he growls, covering his ears from the shots. He stands behind her, resting his head on hers once she's done. "I get it! You can shoot the damn thing!"

"Well I told you," she grins, lowering the weapon.

"You're surprising, you know that?" he asks, watching as she purses her lips while staring at the targets.

"Not the first time I've heard that, no," she says, turning to him. "So what now?"

"We're done," he says. "For now, at least. I'll find a suitable firearm for you to have next time."

"Huh-what? Firearm? What the hell are you giving me a gun for?" she asks in disbelief.

"To properly protect yourself."

"Properly protect myself? Are you serious?" she asks.

"You obviously know how to handle a gun," he shrugs.

"Yeah, that doesn't mean I've ever had a desire to go buy one and keep it strapped to me at all times."

"That's ridiculous," he snorts. "It'd be for you to keep in your apartment as well. You'd only have it strapped to you on missions."

"You're serious about every part of this aren't you?" she asks and he nods. "Well, what about Chuck?"

"What about him?" he growls.

"Are you going to train him to use one?" she asks.

"Give Bartowski a gun?" he asks and she smirks, nodding. "Plus if he needs training, Walker can take care of it."

"That's not a bad idea, actually," she says, smiling to herself.

"What are you talking about?" he asks as they walk back to the other room.

"Sarah and Chuck?" she smiles. "A little quality time together would do them good."

"No," he says, shaking his head. "Absolutely not, ain't gonna happen."

"You know complain all you want about Chuck's feelings but you're doing the exact same thing, just… minus the feelings," she says, picking her jacket up off the floor.

"Wrong," he says, pulling his shirt on. "I'd never let this compromise your safety."

"But don't you think that because of what we have, you're even more alert at protecting me?" she asks.

"You're talking too much again," he says, pulling her to him. She smiles against his lips before pulling back.

"Are you coming with me?" she asks, zipping up her jacket.

"Got work to do," he says and she nods.

"See you, then," she says before smiling as he pulls her back.

"See you later," he whispers in her ear before releasing her.

* * *

"Thought you'd be at my place," Casey says, walking into Bela's apartment.

"Eh," she shrugs, sitting on the counter. "I had to shower, which I now apparently have to do here."

"What are you eating now?" he asks, ignoring her comment as he joins her in the kitchen.

"Frozen yoghurt," she says, watching him from the counter.

"That's not food."

"Yes it is," she argues. "And it's free food."

"You took it from Sarah's work?" he asks.

"Of course not! She gave it to me, for free."

"Just like at the Wienerlicious."

"Hey, I paid for some of those wieners!" she frowns.

"You can't live on food from every place that Sarah works," he says.

"Unless she gets a job at a Subway," she mutters to herself, smirking at the idea.

"Well, at least you're not drinking anymore," he says and she frowns, glaring at him.

"Not by choice," she mutters and he moves over to her, resting his hands on the counter either side of her.

"You really miss it that much? Going out and getting drunk, waking up with men you've never even met before?" he asks before sighing. "Or are you just sick of waking up with me?"

She stares at him, taken aback by his words.

"Casey, no," she says, shaking her head. "Of course I don't miss that, and I don't regret anything with you, either."

"Then what?" he asks, quickly becoming annoyed.

"Sometimes..." she starts, pausing for a moment to think. "Sometimes I just miss going out, forgetting that I have all these secrets in my head that people want to lock Chuck and me up and study us for. Sometimes I miss being normal, is all."

"You _are_ normal," he whispers, moving closer to her.

"Yeah, well I don't feel like it all the time," she mumbles before his lips cover hers.

"You do to me," he says, causing her to smile.

"You're showing your feelings, Major," she says, smirking as he clears his throat.

"Just needed to clear that up, for the cover," he says, frowning.

"Mhmm," she smiles as he slides his hands up her thighs. "That for the cover, too?"

"'Course," he nods as she tosses the empty yoghurt container in the sink, her arms going around his neck as he lifts her up. "You giving in?"

"Not if you say it like that," she teases, pressing against him.

"You like to win, don't you," he smirks as he carries her down her short hallway and into her bedroom.

"Depends on what we're playing," she grins, laughing as he tosses her on the bed.

* * *

"That tattoo does some interesting things when you move," Casey says, watching her as she climbs off of him.

"Oh, you like it now?" she laughs, shaking her head.

"I could get used to it," he shrugs, rolling over to face her.

She snorts, punching him lightly before closing her eyes.

"You can work out with me, you know," he says, trailing his finger across her tattoo.

"I like working out with Sarah, gives us a chance to talk," she smiles.

"Oh really, and what is it you talk about?" he snorts.

"That's between Sarah and me, isn't it," she grins, opening her eyes and meeting his. "But I'll admit I did enjoy our little workout just now; and before."

"And?"

"And maybe I could work out with Sarah sometimes and you the rest of the time," she says. "You know, when I'm not exhausted."

He chuckles, pulling her even closer to him.

"Alright," he nods, grabbing her sheets and pulling them up over them both.

"Alright," she mumbles, her eyes sliding shut before his do the same.

* * *

AN: Sorry for all the kickboxing jargon. Basically they just did a lot of punching and kicking, lots of fun for the two of them. Anyway that's the filler chapter between seasons, so next it's the first season two chapter.


	15. Chuck vs The First Date

A/N: I know, this has taken forever to get out. I'm going to use the 'I was busy' line again because I was, but things have quieted down for the time being which has given me a chance to work on these chapters. Hope you enjoy them and please review!

* * *

"Before you do anything rash, I think you should know that I have the cipher!" Chuck yells as Colt holds him out the window by his ankles.

"Hand it to me right now," he says.

"Don't you think we should discuss terms, first?" he asks and Colt pulls him up by his shirt, now holding him out by his tie.

"Now, who are you?"

"You know what, you probably wouldn't believe us!" Bela calls from inside the warehouse. She was handcuffed to one of the poles, her arms stretched painfully behind her back.

"Last chance, who are you?" he growls.

"Chuck," he answers.

"Okay, now tell me everything _Chuck_."

"Oh, okay see the thing is we kinda sorta work for the CIA and the NSA in our off hours when we're not working at the store, this is kind of like a second job for us, and though we don't look it being lanky of build you should probably know that we are probably the most important intelligence assets in the world," Chuck blurts out, Bela staring at him bemused.

"That is the single, dumbest story I've ever heard," he says.

"That very well may be, but if you drop him," Bela yells. "There are a couple of people who are gonna be very, very upset."

Just then Sarah blows through the door, Casey right by her side.

"Let the geek go!" Casey yells, not noticing Bela as he trains his gun on Colt.

"Wait!" Sarah yells. "Not out the window!"

"Aren't we picky," he growls.

Colt tosses Chuck inside, Casey rushing to the window as he abseils down.

"Why didn't you stay in the car?" Sarah asks, annoyed.

"You know what; it's never safe in the car!" Chuck cries.

"Where's-" Casey starts, putting his gun away.

"Over here!" Bela says, moving around the pole to face them.

"Do I even want to know how you got cuffed here?" he sighs, inspecting her binds.

"It's probably best that you don't," she says.

"Do you know where the key is by any chance?" he asks, meeting her eyes. She nods her head over to the window Colt had just escaped out of.

"Great."

"Can't you just shoot them off?" Sarah asks.

"No!" Bela and Chuck protest as Casey thinks this over.

"Break your thumb," Casey says, reaching his hand around to grab one of hers.

"Don't you even think about doing that John Casey or I swear as soon as I'm free I'm gonna break a very valuable appendage of _yours_," she growls. He pulls back immediately.

"Do you have a hairpin or something like that?" he asks.

"Does it look like I have a hairpin?" she yells, and he glances up at her hair tangled down around her face. He guessed not.

"Here," Sarah sighs, pulling out her lock pick set.

"And you wanted to break my thumb," Bela growls, glaring at Casey.

"Not your whole thumb," he explains, not seeing a problem with this.

"There," Sarah says, the cuffs falling to the floor.

"Thank you," Bela beams, rubbing her wrists.

"You're welcome," she smiles before Casey interrupts.

"Well, did either of you geniuses get it?" he asks, Bela glaring at him. "Tell me you got it."

"I got it," Chuck says, holding up the cipher. "'Course I got it, it's me-us."

Casey snatches if from him, following Bela out of the room as Sarah smiles down at him.

"You okay?" she asks, helping him up.

"You mean am I okay after just being dangled precariously out that window only moments ago?" he asks. "Yeah, I'm good."

She laughs lightly, resting her hand on his arm as they follow the other two out.

* * *

"Excellent work Sarah, Casey. Our transporters will be taking the cipher out of Los Angeles," Graham says.

"General, what exactly is the cipher? I mean mercenaries break into the NSA lab and that's the only thing they take?" Sarah asks.

"The cipher is the artificial brain for the new intersect computer," Beckman explains, Bela and Chuck looking up at this.

"I'm sorry, what?" Bela asks, leaning forward. "The new intersect?"

"We've been working on the new one ever since the original intersect was destroyed," Graham explains. "The cipher is the final piece."

"Uh wait, time out for a second here," Chuck says, interrupting. "What happens to us; the old intersects?"

"Tomorrow the new computer will be online. Operation Bartowski-Tiernan officially comes to an end," Graham continues. "You'll be done with us; no more briefings, no more missions, no more spies. Enjoy the rest of your lives."

Chuck and Bela slowly turn to look at each other, the corners of their mouths lifting up.

Casey ends the transmission as Chuck stands up, Sarah following him to the door.

"Night guys," he says, Bela waving at them as they leave. She stares down at her shoes, smiling to herself.

"Hey," Casey says, pulling her to her feet.

"Hey," she smiles, staring up at him.

"You okay?" he asks, brushing her hair back behind her ears.

"I'm great," she grins, leaning up and kissing him. He chuckles as she pulls away.

"Go shower," he says, kissing her neck. "I'll join you in a minute."

"Who could refuse that," she grins, padding down the hallway. He waits until he hears the water start before he flicks the communication link back on.

"Thought you might call," he says, seeing Beckman on the screen.

"Major Casey, you understand the situation," she says. "We can't have two more intersects wandering around Los Angeles getting into trouble."

"General they may be novice spies, but the results speak for themselves," Casey says. "Surely we can find another exit strategy."

"You have your orders, Major. Tomorrow night, eliminate Chuck Bartowski and Bela Tiernan."

Beckman ends the communication link, leaving him standing there as he takes out his gun.

"I used to like the sound of that," he frowns. He walks up into his room, setting the gun down on the bedside table. Tossing his clothes to the floor he walks into the adjoining bathroom, silently walking into the shower.

"Took your time," Bela says, feeling arms wrap around her waist.

"I had to make sure we didn't get any unwanted visitors," he growls as he pushes her wet hair out of the way, kissing her shoulder.

"Oh really?" she laughs, turning to face him. "What, with all your fancy new security equipment?"

"Never be too careful," he says, staring down at her. He kisses her forehead, pulling her to him.

"Are you okay?" she asks once he pulls back slightly.

"Fine," he says, kissing along her jaw. She goes to say something before he stops her, his hands sliding around to cup her ass.

"Casey," she grins, looping her arms around his neck as he shuts off the water. She laughs as he carries her into the bedroom, dropping her onto the bed. He soon joins her, leaving a trail of kisses from her navel back up to her lips. She moans, running her hands over his shoulders as he moves her legs apart.

He nibbles on her ear as he enters her, growling low in his throat.

"Jesus," she hisses, closing her eyes.

He smiles down at her before kissing her forehead, staring at the pillows.

"You're quiet tonight," she notes, grinning as he moves harder against her. "Stop distracting me."

"Stop talking then," he chuckles, still avoiding her eyes. He notes her quickened breathing and leans down, kissing her hard.

She pulls away, crying out as he bites into her shoulder. He rolls off of her, pulling the sheet up to cover them.

"So I'm free," she smiles, leaning back into the pillows. "Huh."

Casey says nothing, resting his head on his arm as he watches her.

"You know technically, this isn't wrong anymore," she grins, rolling over to face him. "We could have some real fun before you get reassigned."

He stares at her, frowning at the tugging in his chest. He put it down to guilt.

"It's still a little wrong," he says. He pulls her close, resting his head against hers.

"What's gotten into you tonight?" she asks after a moment.

"Nothing," he mumbles against her hair. "Let's get some sleep."

"Okay," she breathes as he holds her close.

* * *

"Casey's hitting on customers," Chuck says, joining Bela at the Nerd Herd desk.

She shrugs, chewing on her pen as she reads Morgan's _Call of Duty_ plan.

"Really, that's it?" he asks and she looks up.

"They'll be leaving soon, Chuck," she says. "Both Casey and Sarah, so why get upset over a little thing like that?"

"I thought you really liked the guy is all," he shrugs, watching for her reaction. She smirks, shaking her head.

"It's been fun, and sure I'll miss _the guy_," she says, her smile growing. "But it was bound to end sooner or later."

"Still, you're being very calm about the whole situation."

"Eh," she shrugs, turning back to Morgan's plan. "What about Sarah and you?"

"Sarah and me? What-what are you-?" he asks, blushing slightly.

"And continue," she smirks.

"I'm about to go see her now, actually and talk to her about... stuff, things you know," he says nervously.

"Whatever you ask, she'll say yes," Bela smiles, looking up again. "I know she'll say yes."

"Thanks Bells," he grins, moving out from behind the counter before stopping. "Oh hey, if I were to offer you an Assistant Manager position you would say...?"

"Not on your life."

"Got it," he nods before adding. "You might be receiving some resumes throughout the day."

"Looking forward to it," she deadpans.

"Looking forward to what?" Casey asks, joining them.

"I'm leaving, see ya!" Chuck says, leaving the two alone.

"Looking forward to what?" he repeats.

"Looking over resumes for the Assistant Manager position at this fine electronics store," she explains with gusto.

"You're not applying?" he asks, confused.

"'Course I'm not applying," she snorts.

"Why?"

"Why do you care?" she asks, writing on the stack of sticky notes in front of her.

"Because you can do better than working at the Buy More," he says, getting her attention.

"Maybe I like it here," she says, her eyes meeting his.

"You gonna honestly tell me that?" he asks and she sighs, shaking her head.

"I don't want to talk about this," she says, returning her attention back to the plans.

"Bela?" he asks, hesitating slightly.

"Yeah?"

"Will you be home tonight?" he asks his jaw tensing.

"Mmm, yes," she nods, looking up from the plans. "You coming 'round?"

"Haven't decided yet," he mutters to himself, walking away.

* * *

"So I went over your notes," Morgan says, pulling out his new _Call of Duty_ strategy.

Bela nods, running her eyes over it carefully.

"I like what you've changed here," she points out, the two looking up as her door opens.

"Hey, John," Morgan says, waving at him from the living room.

"We're going over _Call of Duty_ plans," she explains, not looking up.

"Fascinating," he nods. "Will you be long?"

"Time to go, Morgan," she says.

"But we were just about to get into the-"

"Time to go," she says, more firmly this time.

"Fine," he sighs, packing everything up. "I'll show you these at work tomorrow."

"Definitely," she says, flashing him a genuine smile. "See you then."

"Night guys."

Casey grunts, shutting the door as soon as he's out.

"That was a little rude," she frowns.

"I doubt you care," he smirks, moving past her.

"Morgan's my friend, Casey," she says. "I should have made you leave, not him."

"Really," he snorts, moving behind her. "You'd rather Morgan here right now?"

She gasps as his hand slides up under her skirt, quickly moving her underwear to the side.

"Fine," she groans, her hand gripping his arm as she pulls away. "You win."

He grins at this, watching as she cleans up the plates from the lounge room.

"Did you two have dinner together?" he asks.

"Yeah, pizza," she shrugs, moving into the kitchen. "Why, you jealous?"

"Of _him_?" he asks incredulous.

"There's nothing wrong with-" she starts before pausing. "There's nothing _much_ wrong with Morgan."

"He's creepy, you've said so yourself," he says as she washes up.

"No, I've said that some of the things he does are creepy," she corrects.

"Same thing," Casey shrugs as she wipes her hands dry, turning to him.

"Well I still think that you're jealous," she grins up at him.

He snorts, following her up the short hallway to her bedroom.

"Why don't you ever clean?" he sighs, staring at the clothes strewn across her small bedroom floor.

"Did you not just witness me washing dishes?" she asks, raising an eyebrow.

"You know what I mean," he says. "And don't you think it's time you unpacked?"

"Stop telling me to get rid of the boxes," she growls. "I like them; they're staying, end of story."

"Alright," he says, pulling her to him quickly. "Wouldn't want to make you angry."

"You don't like when I'm angry?" she teases, pushing him onto the bed before climbing on top of him.

"Only in certain situations," he grins and she smirks down at him.

"Like this one?" she asks, leaning down and kissing him. He reaches up, his hands sliding across her back before she reaches behind and grabs them.

"Hold on," she whispers, leaning over him for a moment and reaching next to the bed.

"Handcuffs?" he snorts. "Thought you'd be sick of them."

"You don't know me as well as you think, Agent Casey," she smirks, clicking the cuffs shut as he stares up at her questioningly.

"Bela, are you okay?" he asks slowly.

"What? Casey, I'm fine," she laughs, shaking her head. "Way to kill the mood."

"Is this payback for before?" he asks as she stares down at him.

"You weren't the one that cuffed me to that pole," she reminds him.

He chuckles as she moves her hands lower, quickly unbuckling his belt.

"How come you get to stay dressed?" he asks and she grins.

"Because I'm not the one cuffed to the bed," she teases, the two pausing as her doorbell rings.

"Ignore it," he says.

"It's probably just Morgan," she snorts, climbing off of him. "I'll be back in a minute."

"Better be," he growls as she leaves.

"Yeah?" she asks, pulling open the door.

"Delivery for Isabela Tiernan?" the man asks.

"That's me," she nods. "Do I have to sign something?"

"No," he smirks, placing a mask over his face before spraying a poison in hers. She gasps for air, collapsing on the ground as he watches her briefly before leaving.

She grabs for something-anything to get Casey's attention. Something smashes and she hopes he hears it, relief running through her as she hears footsteps.

"Bela!" Casey yells, kneeling over her. She stares up at him panicked before he lifts her up, rushing outside and all but throwing her in his car before speeding down the street to his apartment.

She punches his arm, her free hand resting against her throat as she struggles to breathe.

"Hang on," he whispers, frowning at the blue tinge to her cheeks.

He picks her up quickly, jogging through the courtyard.

"Damn it," he growls, noticing his front door ajar. He shifts her so she lay across his shoulder as he takes his gun out, carefully moving into the apartment.

Reactivating the security system he lays her on the ground, turning the showers above them on. As water pours down over the two he reaches for his Reagan photo, smashing it quickly and grabbing the syringe.

"Sorry," he apologises before stabbing it into her chest, causing her to scream as the antidote courses through her.

"C'mon, sweetheart," he growls, pulling her up onto his lap. One of her hands wraps around his arm securely as she catches her breath.

"What the hell just happened?" she croaks after a moment, Casey helping her to sit up.

"I was going to ask you the same thing."

"I don't know," she says. "It was a delivery guy, and he sprayed me with something-I don't know."

He helps her up and she slowly looks around.

"What happened to your apartment?" she asks. It was a mess, as if someone unfamiliar had been inside looking for something.

"Someone managed to bypass my security-probably the same someone who attacked you," he growls. "They took the cipher."

"Casey," she says slowly, getting his attention. "What about Chuck and Sarah?"

"Damn it," he growls, quickly arming himself before ushering her out of the apartment.

"Casey-we should change," she says, gesturing at their soaked clothing.

"Right," he nods, quickly pulling off his shirt.

She follows suit, pulling some of the clothes she kept there out of his wardrobe and hurriedly pulling them on.

"Ready?" he asks and she nods, the two quickly making their way to his car.

* * *

"Bartowski had better be wearing his watch," Casey growls, hitting some buttons in his car.

"Why, I know where they are," she says and he turns to her.

"How could you possibly know that?" he asks as she enters the location into the GPS.

"He's my best friend and I know him," she snorts, shaking her head. "I know where he took her for dinner."

"Right," he nods, speeding up before glancing at her again. "You okay?"

"My face still feels funny," she says, clearing her throat. "Hey, how'd you get out of those handcuffs, anyway?"

"I have my ways," he smirks, and she glances at his hands.

"Oh my god, your thumbs-you broke your thumbs?" she yells.

"They're fine, I've done it before," he shrugs.

She stares at him in disbelief before returning her gaze to the window. He was getting close.

"Casey?" she asks quietly.

"Yeah?"

"Now that the cipher is gone, what does that mean?" she asks slowly.

"Means you're not free yet, sweetheart," he says and she nods, sighing.

He glances at her, frowning at her reaction before speeding up even more.

"Casey-Casey what are you doing?" she yells, clutching the seat as he crashes through the restaurant's window.

"Hey! Somebody order drive through?" Casey asks, climbing out of the vehicle.

"So funny," Bela mutters, still in shock as Chuck and Sarah climb in the back.

"Casey, drive!" Sarah yells as he gets back in after Colt punches him.

"Somebody order drive though, huh?" Chuck asks, Bela glancing in the back to make sure the two were okay. "Did you think of that as you were racing over to save us? Hey maybe I'll say this after I crash into the restaurant!"

"Casey we have to go back and find out who they work for," Sarah says.

"Too many of them, we can't."

"Well at least we still have the cipher," Chuck says, Bela and Casey glancing at each other. "What?"

"About that..." Bela starts.

"Looks like you two are still the intersects," he says.

"What?" he asks again, his eyes wide before he frowns. "Wait, did you two set this up so that you can be together longer?"

"What? No!" Bela yells, turning to them. "And for your information I nearly died tonight, too, thanks for the concern."

"Casey?" Sarah asks and he nods.

"She was attacked in her apartment and when we got back to mine the cipher was gone," he explains.

"Are you okay, Bells?" Chuck asks, leaning forward.

She smiles, resting her hand on his.

"I think so, yeah," she nods. "But, uh, what are we gonna do now?"

"We'll get the cipher back guys, don't worry," Sarah says.

* * *

"Bela, Bela, Bela," Anna says, quickly catching up to her before she joins Chuck and Morgan in the break room.

"Yeah, what's up?" she asks, smiling at her.

"We're friends, right? Of course we are, look," she says quickly. "I think that you should put in a good word for me at the interview. I know Morgan's already going to be there but it's not the same, compared to you? He has no power-it's between you and Chuck."

"Look, Anna, I think it's gonna be up to Chuck anyway, but I'll put in a good word okay?" she smiles. "I'd rather it be you than Lester or Jeff."

"Thanks so much!" she grins before they both join the others in the break room.

"Bela," Chuck says, gesturing for Bela to come sit next to him.

She nods, quickly making her way over.

"Okay, so the first interview up is," Morgan starts, glancing down at his clipboard. "Anna Wu."

"You really had to check that?" Bela asks.

"Professional," Morgan whispers.

"Um, okay Anna well your resume has some really interesting items," Chuck says, Bela leaning over and reading over his shoulder.

"Is it true that you're trained in the arts of-" he starts.

"Tell him to leave," Anna interrupts.

"I'm sorry, what?" Bela asks, raising an eyebrow.

"Tell Morgan to leave."

"We're just trying to find the right applicant buddy, that's all," Chuck explains as Morgan slowly leaves the room.

"Can I go, too?" Bela asks, Chuck quickly pushing her down as she attempts to stand up.

"It's scented," Anna says, pointing at the resume before turning to Morgan. "Oh honey, would you close the door. Thanks sugar."

"We're alone," Anna says, Bela glancing at the two uncomfortably.

"You could be if someone would just let me-ow, okay," Bela mutters as Chuck grips her arm painfully. "Anna what exactly are you doing?"

"Relax, I like making my boyfriend nervous," she smirks.

"Wow-okay, wrong leg!" Bela gasps, quickly scooting her chair back.

"What do you think he thinks is happening in here right now?" Anna grins.

"An interview I hope," Chuck says.

"And just think, we have Jeff and Lester to look forward to," Bela grins.

* * *

"Lester, enough," Bela groans, pinching the bridge of her nose as Chuck and her continue the interviews.

"I take care of my friends, guys," he says, imitating the Godfather he continues before mumbling the rest and coughing from the strain on his throat.

"Okay, here's the thing we're at the Buy More, and this is not the mafia," Chuck explains.

"Interesting, interesting," Lester says as Casey slams through the door, some material balled against his injured cheek.

"Hey, whoa, we're conducting interviews," Morgan starts before Casey slams his head into the wall.

"Are you okay?" Bela asks, ignoring Morgan as she moves across the room towards Casey. "Whoa."

He glances at her as Chuck ushers Morgan and Lester out of the room.

"What is it?" he asks.

"I know where they are," Bela says, glancing at Chuck as he nods.

"Who?"

"Who? What do you mean, who? Colt! The guy who smashed you in the face last night!" Chuck yells.

"We flashed on your scar," Bela says, frowning at the wound on his cheek. "It's the emblem for their organisation; they have a secret hideout downtown. Warehouse seventeen on one hundred and third street."

"We'll hop in the Herder and-"

"Cool your jets hot shot, I'll call it in," he says, hissing as he touches his face.

"Here," Bela says, pushing his hands out of the way. He growls, sitting down at the table with Chuck as she raids the first aid kit.

"What do you mean call it in, there's no time!" Chuck says. "They could be on the move already!"

"Relax," he says, Bela joining the two as she readies his bandage. "I'm not gonna rush us into a hideout situation until I'm absolutely certain we have the upper hand. "We'll get the cipher; it just may take some time."

"Casey, I can't take this anymore, do you get what I'm saying?" Bela sighs, pressing the bandage against his cheek. "I cannot do this anymore."

"We both nearly died in the period of one day!" Chuck interrupts as Bela steps back momentarily. "When I'm looking at my life and where my future could be, I see that it doesn't completely suck!"

"Your intersect, your new intersect is almost done and when it is we're free, we're cool, we're clear, we're out of here," she says. "We have a future and a life we want to live."

"The future is a dangerous thing, it doesn't always work out how you want it to," Casey says, his eyes on Bela.

"What happened, you were this close to being done with us," Chuck interrupts. "A real spy again."

"What, you don't want me here to catch you when you fall?" he asks.

"No, as a matter of fact I'd rather have you flying jets and blowing things up," Bela whispers, staring down at him.

"Wait here," he says, leaving the room.

"Was that too mean?" she asks, sitting opposite Chuck. He shakes his head.

"It was the truth, he needed to hear it."

She nods, sighing.

"Come on," he says, and she follows him out onto the floor.

"Hey, what about the interviews guys?" Morgan asks, quickly running up to the two as they watch Casey leave.

"What? Oh, I don't know but you're in charge," Chuck says, Bela nodding absentmindedly.

"No, no, I can't-I can't do the interviews I don't make decisions like that," he explains. "People talk to me and I just kinda tune them out y'know nod my head. I'd be making the decision blind."

"Fine, fine, use your own method," Bela says. "We trust you."

She quickly follows Chuck out of the store, the two heading to the Orange Orange.

"Hey, what's happening you're going down there aren't you?" Chuck asks as they join Sarah.

"We're on it," she says, Casey coming out of the back.

"What-what's back there?" Chuck asks, Bela opening her mouth to say something.

"Shut it," Casey says to her before turning to him. "Like the sign says, yoghurt and fun."

"Let us come along, you gotta bring the Carmichael's!" Chuck says, wrapping an arm around Bela. "We can help you guys!"

"The _Carmichael's_ aren't your real names!" Casey growls. "You're just Chuck and Bela and you're _not_ real spies."

"We have a tactical team meeting us at the location that you gave Casey, we'll take down Colt find the cipher and you go back to work," Sarah says to them before following Casey out the door.

"I told you he was pissed about what I said," Bela sighs as they walk back to the Buy More.

"He'll get over it," Chuck says. "If not, once they get the cipher back he'll leave and you won't have to worry about it."

"Yeah," she nods, pinching the bridge of her nose. "Right."

"Where is everybody?" he asks as they enter the store. "Anna, Jeff, Lester?"

"You two!" Big Mike yells, getting their attention. "Computer emergency."

"Hey, where is everybody?" Bela asks.

"Don't care, just got a call for Nerd Herd help," he explains. "They said they got a recommendation for you."

"Which one?" she asks.

"Both now get going!" he yells before going back into his office.

"Both?" Bela snorts, following Chuck.

* * *

"Buy More Nerd Herd, hello!" Chuck calls, knocking on the door.

"Are you sure this is the place?" Bela asks, looking around nervously.

"It's the address," he shrugs, looking down at the paper as the door opens.

"Hello," Colt says, leaning in the doorway. "Come on in."

"Yay," Bela whispers, glancing at Chuck before following him inside.

"So uh, what seems to be your computer problem?" Chuck asks as Colt's men surround them.

"Here's the problem," he begins, removing his jacket. "You saw my face, and you heard my voice."

"That's not a problem, that's not a problem at all!" Bela says. "I forget things all the time, ask anyone! Just anything, ask me, I'll forget it-ow, we-we'll forget it."

Chuck glares at her after elbowing her in the side.

"What exactly are you doing?" Chuck asks.

"I'm stretching, getting limber."

"Why are you doing that?"

"So I won't pull a muscle when I break your necks," he explains. "Maybe you should get limber, too. Especially you girly."

"Girly?" Bela asks, raising an eyebrow before Colt cracks his neck. "Girly is fine, y'know, whatever you want to call me... Chuck?"

She turns as he starts walking away.

"Where you going?" Colt asks. "There's nobody here to help you. Oh, your friends that's right. They're next on my to do list. See you walked into a trap."

"Chuck?" Bela asks as he stares out the window.

"Chuck?" Colt mimics before growling. "If that is your real name."

"My name is Charles Carmichael," he says confidently, turning around. "And that's my sister Isabela and if you so much as lay a finger on her you'll be sorry. We are CIA agents and this is our trap. I don't think you gentlemen realise the gravity of the predicament that you're in."

"See that phone call you made to the Buy More? Yeah, we traced that," he says before turning to Bela. "Sis, would you tell them the rest?"

She freezes as he leans into her, whispering something in her ear.

"Gentlemen, your compound is currently surrounded by twenty three infantry troupers, sixteen snipers, seven heavy gunners, four demolitions experts and enough ammunition to orbit Arnold Schwarzenegger," she says. "You're outmatched and you're outgunned, those peashooters you're holding might as well be sharp sticks and strong language."

"Nothing there boss," one of Colt's men says, looking out the window. "Looks clear."

"Good try, guys," Colt laughs.

"Of course you don't see anyone, who do you think we are the FBI?" Bela asks. "The only thing you're gonna see is a muzzle flash followed by an e-ticket straight to hell. So make the smart choice, and why don't you hand over the cipher?"

"Wait, wait, wait," Chuck says as Colt steps towards him. "I think that you might want to hear this."

He dials Morgan's number, setting it on speaker phone.

"Hey Chuck!"

"Hey Morgan," Chuck says. "I'd like you to tell me the exact specs for the team surrounding the compound."

"The whole shebang?"

"The whole shebang."

"Yes sir, we've got twenty three infantry troupers, sixteen snipers, seven heavy gunners, four demolitions experts," he explains. "I should tell ya, got a little impatient we took out one of the sentries; don't worry it was a head shot he couldn't warn his buddies. It was awesome man you should have seen it, his head exploded like a watermelon!"

"Thanks, Morgan," Chuck says, hanging up.

"They must have got Fritz," one of Colt's men says, glancing out the window. "Thought he was in the can."

"One more time?" Chuck shrugs, staring at him. "Give up."

"They're either lying or they're crazy!" Colt growls, him and his men moving behind them to the window. "Check everywhere, don't let anything get past you."

Chuck grabs the cipher before quickly taking Bela's hand as the two run in the opposite direction.

"I can't believe that worked!" Bela gasps as the two quickly move through the warehouse.

"Yeah, well, me neither!" he laughs, the two slowing down in front of a large window.

They laugh momentarily before turning and almost running into Colt.

"Don't move!" Bela yells, pointing a finger at him before quickly lowering it. "Please don't move?"

"Bela!" Chuck yells as he throws her through the window. She rolls onto her side, wincing at the cracking when she moved.

"And you," he growls, pushing Chuck through the newly opened space. He kicks Bela on his way past, ensuring she kept her position on the ground.

"Hey, hey, no!" Chuck yells as Colt drags him to the ledge of the building.

"Hand it over," Colt says, holding Chuck by his ankles over the edge.

"What'll you do if I give it to you?" Chuck yells.

"To be honest, I'mma drop you."

"See, this is what I'm talking about we gotta work on your negotiating skills," Chuck says. "How 'bout this, you pull me back up and we just discuss this like two rational adults."

"You know what?" he asks, turning as Sarah yells at him to freeze. "It ain't worth it."

"No!" Sarah screams as he lets go of Chuck.

"Your boyfriend is dead now baby, what you gonna do?" he asks, turning to her.

He moves forward, knocking the gun out of Sarah's shocked hands as the two begin to fight. Bela groans, rolling over onto her stomach before pulling herself to her knees.

"Bela!" Sarah pants, kicking Colt in the back. "Get the gun!"

She glances across the ground, noticing the weapon only a few feet from her.

"I don't think so," Colt growls, knocking Sarah down before swiftly kicking Bela in the side once more.

"Bela!" Sarah yells, gaining Colt's attention away from her as Casey climbs onto the roof.

"Enough with the foreplay step away from the women," Casey says, his weapon trained on Colt as Sarah moves to Bela's side.

"Ahh, you know you gotta put that gun down," Colt grins. 'Cause you're surrounded."

Casey looks around as Colt's men enclose in on them, all fully armed.

"Meet the rest of my men."

"Excuse me!" Chuck says, coming out of one of the doors. "Excuse me, hi, sorry to uh interrupt whatever's going on here but uh mister Colt I just wanted you to meet my team. Tell me something, do you find them imposing? Go ahead, you can be honest; I was going for imposing."

"Chuck?" Sarah asks as she helps Bela up.

"Carmichael," he corrects. "Agent Carmichael. Maybe you could go ahead and put your weapons down. I said put your weapons down! Oh there you go, and then the hands up to imply that your hands are empty."

"Your boss, and his sister," Colt says as Casey cuffs him. "They're good."

"Don't worry, I'm fine," Chuck says as Sarah and Bela move over to him.

"Yeah, we're aces," Bela nods, holding her side as Chuck stares at her worriedly.

"Do you have the cipher?" Sarah asks. "Please tell me you have it."

"Of course I have it," Chuck says, holding it up. "It's me."

Casey grabs it on his way past, his eyes on Bela as he shoves Colt roughly forward.

* * *

"Damn it," Bela groans, dragging herself up off her couch and making her way to the front door. "What?"

"You look like hell," Casey says, his eyes running over her.

She stares at him blankly before turning her back, slowly making her way back into the lounge room as he closes the door.

"You're okay?" he asks, quickly walking past her.

"Sure, come on in," she mutters to herself.

"Bela," he sighs, staring at her.

"I am fine," she shrugs, shoving her hands into the pockets of her jumper. He nods, gently guiding her to the couch before sitting next to her.

"You're acting strange," she notes, staring at him. "What's wrong with you?"

"The intersect was destroyed," Casey explains, watching as her eyes widen in shock.

"The cipher…?"

"Was a Trojan horse, a sabotage device as soon as it came online it exploded."

"So I'm-Chuck and me are still the intersects," she sighs. He nods slowly. "Great."

"I'm sorry," he apologises, meaning it. She raises her eyes to his, smiling lightly.

"It's not your fault, Casey," she says quietly, running a hand through her hair and wincing at the pain the movement caused.

"Are you sure you're okay?" he asks, concerned.

"Yeah," she nods as he pushes up her jumper carefully before cursing under his breath. "It's just a lot of bruising, nothing's broken. Looks worse than it is."

He didn't believe her but nodded anyway, lowering her clothing before clearing his throat.

"What?" she asks.

"I think that... for the cover, you should move in," he says, watching her reaction carefully. She laughs, shaking her head.

"You say that after what just happened? After Chuck and I just got the smallest taste of freedom?" she asks, confused.

"It's for the cover," he says, shrugging.

"And all of your surveillance equipment, your weapons, that'd be very easy to explain," she teases.

"Explain to who? You're the only one that visits other than Bartowski and Walker."

"Exactly, what if I want to invite Ellie and Awesome over, or Morgan?" she teases.

"Morgan will never enter my apartment," he growls, watching her smirk.

"Casey, I don't know," she sighs. "I can't just give up my apartment."

"I am not leaving you by yourself, Bela," he continues. "You stay with me nearly every night anyway."

"But I like having the option of going home," she sighs.

"Then you keep your apartment, and move in with me."

"I can't afford that, Casey," she growls. "You _know_ that."

"Who said anything about you paying," he says. "I just want you to stay with me, until I'm sure you're safe."

"What about Chuck?"

"Bartowski is next door, he's safe enough," he shrugs.

"That's real nice, Casey," she sighs.

"Look, he lives right next door. You live blocks away," he explains. "If something happens, I'd rather you be closer than that."

She sighs, resting her head against the couch.

"I don't know," she frowns, watching him. "What about a compromise?"

"I'm listening," he says.

"What if I move _most_ of my things over to your place, and stay there on an indefinite basis _unless_ you piss me off enough that I need to go home."

"Or I piss you off enough and you go stay with Sarah; not alone."

"Casey," she frowns.

"That's the best I'll do."

She stares around her small apartment.

"Can I keep some boxes around in your apartment?" she asks.

"Of course, that's what the spare room is for," he says.

"You're an ass," she smirks.

"Will you just give me an answer already?" he growls.

"Fine," she sighs. "But I don't want you leaving weapons around everywhere, and your lounge room needs work. You need to clean up your surveillance equipment so that it's liveable at least."

"Fine," he mutters and she smiles, standing up and slowly making her way into the kitchen.

"So you're sure?" he asks, walking over to her.

"Are _you_?" she asks. "You are aware that I can't cook anything that doesn't involve a microwave, right?"

"I can cook," he shrugs.

"I walk around in my underwear. A lot," she says as he backs her up against the wall.

"And I'd have a problem with that because?" he smirks.

"Distracting?" she asks after a moment. He growls, taking her wrists in his hands before sliding her arms up above her head.

"I can live with that," he whispers, pressing his lips against hers.

"What if Beckman calls," she asks.

"If I don't answer, it won't be a problem," he chuckles. "And _officially_ you are still living in your apartment with some of your things at mine, just for the cover."

"So we're really doing this?" she asks, raising an eyebrow.

"Really we should have done it after you were shot, but now is fine."

"Alright," she nods.

"Alright," he nods, grinning as his lips meet hers once more.

* * *

A/N: So Casey and Bela are living together as of the next chapter, which makes things a lot more interesting. Please review!


	16. Chuck vs The Seduction

A/N: Alright, another new chapter! Casey and Bela are now living with each other, which has been so far, so good. But now with a new house guest, things get a little tricky. Please review!

* * *

"Why aren't you getting out of the car?" Casey asks, glancing across at Bela. She leans her head back against the rest, closing her eyes.

"I'm waiting for Chuck," she says, feeling the weight of the car shift as Casey slides back in.

"You're gonna be waiting a while, you beat him," he says blankly.

"I always beat him in this," she snorts, opening her eyes. "But he'll be here eventually."

"Why not wait for him inside?" he asks, annoyed.

She glances across at him, frowning.

"Must you disapprove of _everything_ I do?" she asks.

"Only the stupid things," he says, earning a smack across the back of the head.

"Look, here he is now," she growls, climbing out of her car as Casey quickly follows. She locks it before making her way over to the line of Herders.

"You're getting quicker," Chuck says as she reaches him.

"You're getting slower," she smirks.

"Yeah, well this time today I was supposed to be a free man," he complains. "No more intersect, possibly reclining on a beach with a colada and some undisclosed companion. What the hell happened?"

"It's technical," Casey says, Bela glancing across at him.

"If it's a computer malfunction maybe we can help? It is our department," Chuck says.

"It exploded in a million little pieces and Agent Graham with it, you wanna help? Better get yourselves some rubber gloves."

"Graham's dead?" Bela asks, exchanging worried glances with Chuck before turning back to him. "But-"

"Playing for keeps here," Casey says.

"Well, at the risk of sounding callous where does that leave us with the new intersect?" Chuck asks.

"If I were the two of you I'd get used to working at the Buy More, you ain't leaving anytime soon," Casey says before leaving the two.

"Did you know about this?" Chuck asks as they slowly follow.

"What-no!" Bela says, frowning. "Why would you even say that, you know that I'd tell you straight away if I did."

"Sorry," he sighs, glancing up at the Buy More sign. "I just did not want to come back here."

"Yeah, well, you and me both," she mutters.

* * *

"Meeting over?" Casey asks, pulling Bela away from Chuck and Morgan.

"Oh yes," she sighs, shaking her head. "I mean Lester? Come on."

He smirks, guiding her out the front doors.

"Where are we going?" she asks, smiling at Sarah as she walks past them towards the Buy More.

"We have a situation," he says as they walk into Sarah's new workplace.

"Situation?"

He guides her downstairs, gesturing for her to take a seat at the table.

"Be professional," he adds, nodding to the screens.

"Sure," she says, glancing back up at the stairs as Chuck and Sarah enter.

"Wow," Chuck says as they descend. "Looks expensive; does this mean you guys are planning on staying for a while?"

"That depends on the two of you," Beckman says as her image comes onto one of the screens.

"How does it depend on us?" Bela asks.

"Colt fed us a Trojan horse that blew up the Intersect. The real cipher is still out there," she says. "Our Intel tells us it may be in the possession of the former KGB operative Sasha Banachek. We believe she's in town to sell it."

"So if we think she's got it why don't we grab her and find out?" Casey asks.

"Sasha Banachek was in a Bulgarian prison for ten years; they got nothing out of her," Beckman says. "The good news is one agent was able to get close. He's the reason she went away and he knows more about her than anyone alive. That agent is Roan Montgomery."

"Crap," Casey says, the three turning to look at him. "Guy hates me. My supervisor in operative training; flunked me twice."

"Well he's off the grid now. Use the Intersects to find Agent Montgomery."

"Alright, guys. Sounds like a blast, really. But you can count us out on this one," he says, pulling Bela along with him. She shrugs at Casey, following. "No more dangling me off of buildings, no more guns being pointed at our heads, no more putting our lives in danger."

"We are going back to our peaceful, quiet albeit degrading lives at the Buy More so have fun on the mission and I really love what you've done with the place."

"Is there a problem with the assets?" Beckman asks.

"No problem General we have the situation under control," Sarah says, standing up and turning to Casey. "Come on."

He ends the transmission, following her up the stairs.

"Go talk to Bela, I'll handle Chuck," she orders.

"I bet you will," he smirks.

"Oh grow up, Casey," she snaps as he walks past her.

"Bela," he says, catching up with her. He pushes past Chuck, leading her outside. "What's going on?"

"I have to agree with Chuck," she says, sitting down at one of the tables. "I don't like doing this, you know that."

"Look, the sooner we get the cipher back, the sooner you can get the intersect removed and the sooner you can get back to your old life."

"Yeah, 'cause my old life was oh so great to start with," she mutters.

"You can go visit your father as often as you like, Hell you could even live with him," he lies, knowing her real fate when this was all over.

"That would be nice," she smiles after a moment. Sighing, she reaches her hand out. "Show me the file."

He grins, handing it to her as Chuck and Sarah walk out.

"We good?" he asks her. Sarah nods as Chuck sits down next to Bela, both going over the file.

"We're good."

"I did not need to see that," Bela smirks, rubbing her eyes after flashing.

"Yeah, wow, the guy lives in Palm Springs," Chuck says. "And he's got a lot of lady friends."

* * *

"Could have taken my car," Bela says, the four climbing out of Casey's. "Would have been much quicker."

"Yeah, and smaller," Casey says, glaring at her. "Leave my car alone."

"What was the class you failed?" she asks, raising an eyebrow.

"Infiltration and inducement of enemy personnel," he grunts, Chuck and Bela turning to Sarah.

"Yeah, in the academy we call it _seduction_ school," Sarah says, Bela snorting at this.

"Yeah, like I need a class," he says, Bela covering her mouth this time as she turns away to hide her silent laughter. "I got you, didn't I?"

"You don't have me, you're just with me," she corrects as he checks the door.

"Wait, someone's already been here," Casey says, Sarah and him taking out their weapons as they move inside.

"Pizza," Bela says, picking up a piece from a discarded box. The three stare at her bemused. "I'm hungry."

"Man, they ransacked the place," Sarah says before they cautiously move over to a body lying on the floor.

"Oh my God, oh uh, maybe we should wait in the car?" Chuck suggests. "I'm still having nightmares about the last few dead bodies."

Casey rips up the mattress from the bed, revealing a passed out Roan underneath.

"Sugar, I got a flight to catch," a woman says as she makes her way out of the bathroom, Casey and Sarah training their weapons on her.

"This is the guy that's supposed to help us?" Bela asks before turning to Chuck. "We're gonna be the intersects forever."

* * *

"Why is he here?" Bela asks, folding her arms across her chest as Casey and Sarah descend the stairs.

"He's staying with us."

"What do you mean he's staying with us?" she whispers, pulling him into the next room.

"I can't say no," Casey shrugs.

"I'm not staying here if he is!" she hisses, glaring up at him. "I'll just stay at my place."

"No, you promised you wouldn't stay by yourself," he says.

"I'll invite Chuck over to stay," she shrugs.

"No," he says more firmly, earning a frustrated growl from her before she storms out of the room.

"Bela," Sarah says, catching her before she reaches the front door.

"Yeah!" she snaps, shaking her head immediately. "I'm sorry."

"Stay with me, it'll be fine," Sarah says, smiling. "I don't have all the surveillance equipment that Casey has."

"Thank you," she sighs in relief. "I just can't stay with Casey after this, it'd be giving in."

"You're very stubborn," Sarah laughs before pausing. "Oh, uh, there's only one bed in my room…"

"But there's a couch, right?" she asks.

"Well, yes."

"Then that's where I'll sleep," Bela says, not seeing a problem with this.

"I can't make you sleep on the couch!" she protests.

"I have seen the couch in your room, it is huge and it is comfy," Bela explains, Sarah smiling at this. "It will be absolutely one hundred percent fine."

"Well, if you're okay with it," Sarah nods.

"I can't thank you enough," Bela smiles before checking her watch. "Shoot, I gotta get back to the Buy More-thanks again!"

* * *

"What took you so long?" Chuck snorts as Bela joins him behind the Nerd Herd desk. "Casey demonstrating his seduction skills-wow, I just grossed myself out."

"Nope," she says, taking a seat.

"You're unusually quiet for once, so I'm probably gonna regret this," he says as he leans on the desk next to her. "What's up?"

"Nothing, I'm fine," she says, frowning as he kicks her chair until she faces him. "Casey kicked me out."

"Of your apartment or his?"

"Both," she growls.

"Both? What-how does that even work?"

"Roan is staying at his apartment, so I do not want to stay there," she explains. "And he won't let me stay at my apartment alone, and not even with you."

"So where are you going to stay?" he asks.

"Uhm, Sarah kinda offered the couch in her hotel room," she says, slowly gauging his reaction.

"She's my girlfriend and you're the first one that gets to spend the night with her?" he snorts. "That's just great."

"It's not like that you perv!" she laughs, smacking him on the arm.

"Well, at least while you're there try and put in a good word about me?" he asks hopefully.

"Don't I always?" she teases.

* * *

"Why'd you bring me along if Roan is just going to be with Chuck and Sarah?" Bela asks, following Casey into his apartment.

"I thought we could clear the air," he says.

"Trust me, the air is very, very clear," she says, making her way to the fridge. She shuffles things around before pulling out a container of fried rice.

"The air is not clear, Bela," he frowns before watching her. "Where the hell were you hiding that?"

"I have my ways," she shrugs, placing the container in the microwave.

He sighs, making his way into the lounge room and turning his surveillance equipment on as he listens to the others next door.

"Where are you going?" he asks as she grabs a fork before jogging upstairs.

He growls, shutting off the equipment before following her.

"What are you doing?" he asks, standing in the doorway as she starts packing her clothes into a bag.

"Packing," she shrugs, pausing to take a mouthful of the rice.

"Why don't you just stay with me, he's not going to be here long and you can't afford a hotel room," he says, shrugging at the disbelief on her face.

"Don't worry, Sarah said I could stay with her," she growls, throwing more clothes into the bag.

"I don't think you're going to need that many things," he says as he watches her. She continues packing, ignoring him standing there.

"You know us fighting isn't helping our cover," he adds.

She laughs, shaking her head before turning to him.

"All 'couples' fight, Casey," she says, making finger quotations. "This is just what our cover needs."

"When will you be back?" he asks, watching as she pulls the bag over her shoulder before picking up her container of food.

"When I'm ready," she says.

* * *

"Stuck in a small van with two beautiful women, could my night get any better?" Roan grins, pouring himself a martini.

"Could ours get any worse," Bela whispers to Sarah.

"Yes, Casey could be here too," she teases, Bela frowning at this.

"Okay, good point."

"So, how long have you and Agent Casey been cavorting?" Roan asks, interrupting them.

"Excuse me?" Bela asks.

"Oh, don't play dumb," he says, Sarah sitting uncomfortably in between the two.

"Our cover is boyfriend and girlfriend," she says, shrugging.

"And the feelings, too? They're a part of your cover?" he pushes.

"Look, I don't know where the hell you're getting your facts from, but you're wrong!" Bela growls, Sarah calming her down.

"Firey," he chuckles, inadvertently spilling his drink on the equipment.

"Oh that's real professional, look at what you did!" Sarah yells.

"I know, that's expensive gin," he says.

"Um, guys, guys," Bela interrupts. "What about Chuck?"

"He's gonna have to be on his own until we get this fixed," Sarah says, Bela leaning forward to take a look.

"Now if you'll just admit I'm right we can move on," Roan says, pouring himself another drink.

"Sarah, please?" Bela growls, trying to work on the machine.

"Agent Casey and Bela's relationship is strictly professional, whatever ideas you have about the two of them are wrong," she says.

"Hey, hey we're back," Bela says, staring at Chuck on the screen. "Ohh and I think we've lost her."

"Mission failed, Black Widow's on the move," Casey says into his watch.

"Great, now I hope you're happy," Sarah growls at Roan. "I told you he's an analyst not a spy!"

"Sarah-" Bela starts as she climbs out.

"Stay in the van!" she yells, running off.

"Drink?" Roan offers, moving closer to her as she screws her face up in disgust.

"Roan, what is the fourth prong of the famous assault?" Chuck asks through the communication link.

"Mission's over Charles, too dangerous," he says. "You're not ready for this."

"I'm ready, what is it?"

"Chuck-" Bela starts but gets cut off.

"Be a bastard!" Roan says.

"When you say bastard, you mean-?"

"Not _you_, Chuck. Not sensitive, caring, sweet-be everything you're not. _Be_ Carmichael."

"You're gonna get him killed!" Bela growls.

"Don't call her missy," Roan continues, ignoring an exasperated Bela.

"Is everyone gonna ignore me?" she growls, pulling open the door.

"I've still got it," Roan chuckles as Chuck enters the elevator with Sasha. "Where are you going?"

"Just stay in the van!" she snaps, slamming the door shut before running off.

She makes her way into the hotel, quickly looking around before letting out a yelp as her arm is grabbed.

"What the hell are you doing?" Casey growls, pulling her around to face him.

"I don't care what you say but I am not getting back in that van with him," she says, pulling her arm out of his grip.

"Damn it, Bela!" he sighs. "You're not even armed; I'm not taking you with us."

"What am I meant to do?" she asks.

"Go back to the van," he orders, quickly pressing his lips against hers as she begins to protest. "Please."

"Fine," she growls before Sarah and him run off.

She makes her way back out of the hotel before being stopped halfway by someone grabbing her again.

"Oh my god, am I wearing a sign?" she mutters as she turns around. "Chuck!"

"Bela-Bela, ohh please tell me you saw that!" he beams, her eyes being drawn to the necklace in his hand as she flashes.

"Hey guys, if you're interested I have a little thing called the cipher," Chuck says into his watch, beaming at Bela before his smile slowly vanishes.

She raises a hand to her ear, making sure what she was hearing was correct.

"Son of a bitch!" Bela yells, getting Chuck's attention. "He's gone."

"What?" he asks, looking at where the van was once parked. "Roan?"

* * *

"How is it that you can get a ride pretty much anywhere, anytime?" Chuck asks Bela as they slowly make their way into the courtyard outside Chuck's.

"How is it that you don't have any money for a taxi?" she smirks. "Be thankful, at least we didn't have to walk all the way back."

"You know, she's going to kill them," Roan says, sitting in the bushes.

"Unbelievable," Bela growls, glaring at him. "Well I guess we're just gonna have to take our chances then."

"But we can't save them alone, we need your help Roan," Chuck says as he makes his way over to them.

"They knew what they were getting into. That's the game we play. If you show up there'll be four dead agents instead of just two."

"Son of a bitch!" Bela hisses, punching Roan square in the jaw. He stumbles back briefly before steadying himself as Chuck pulls Bela back.

"So that's it?" she growls. "What happened to being the 'world's greatest spy'?"

"That was a long time ago," he says. "Roan Montgomery is not the man you see before you. My life may be boring and cowardly but I'm alive. That's more than most in my line of work can claim."

"But you're a legend, Roan don't you understand that?" Chuck asks.

"So how can you just sit there and watch one of them die?" Bela hisses.

"Because I am not in love with one of the agents," he says, Bela flexing her fists again.

"I-we're not," Chuck says slowly. "We care about them, care about _both_ of them. Besides we heard what she said, to her I'm just an asset."

"No, you're not," Roan says, shaking his head. "Trust me; the lady doth protest too much."

"You two have to ask yourselves... are they worth dying for?"

They stare at each other as Roan leaves.

"Yes," they both say and he stops, turning around.

"Poor kids," he sighs. "Lesson number one in being a spy: _never fall in love_."

"Well then I guess I'm not much of a spy," Chuck says, making his way to his apartment.

"And you're not much of a legend," Bela adds before following.

* * *

"You're early," Chuck says, joining Bela at the Nerd Herd desk.

"Couldn't sleep," she says, turning away to hide her yawn.

"Much or at all?" he frowns, noting the dark circles under her eyes.

"I've been trying to get a hold of Beckman all night, it's not happening," she sighs.

"Yeah, I've been trying all morning apparently there's no record of us at all," he says, leaning against the counter. "Uh, where is everyone?"

"Lester fired them," she says, glancing up at him. "Don't worry, he's gonna ask them back. _Very_ soon."

"Box of doughnuts soon?" he asks and she nods. "Are you actually working?"

He stares at her in disbelief and she picks up a clipboard, making her way out of the Nerd Herd desk.

"Are you actually working?" he asks, following her.

She looks up at him, expressionless.

"It helps keep my mind off of things, so yeah, I'm working," she says.

"We're gonna get them back, Bells," he says, resting a hand on her arm.

"Yeah and what if we don't," she frowns, her eyes meeting his. "What if everything goes wrong and we don't get them back?"

He stares at her, not knowing what to say.

"Agents," Roan says, joining the two. "Lovely cover they've got you working. Perhaps you would like to elaborate on what you meant last night by 'legend'."

"I meant what I said, you were great," Bela says. "Once."

"Are you here to help or are you just browsing?" Chuck asks.

"I suppose that depends on what your plan is for tonight?" he asks.

"Our plan is to show up at the meeting spot and exchange the cipher for Casey and Sarah," she explains.

"You're determined to risk your lives for these people?" he asks.

"In a heartbeat," Bela says immediately.

"They'd do it for us," Chuck adds.

"Then perhaps we should revise your plan, come up with something that doesn't get us all killed," he says.

"We're open to that," Chuck says, Bela nodding her agreement as he slips his sunglasses back on before leaving.

"You really think he's gonna help?" Bela asks, glancing at Chuck.

"We've got no other choice," he shrugs.

* * *

"This had better work or I swear to god you're gonna get another unpleasant bruise," Bela threatens, glaring at Roan.

"Oh lovely, if I were a younger man I would take you right here," he says, ignoring the sickened expression cross her face.

"Alright, here's how this is gonna go down, you want the cipher? You play by my rules," Chuck says into the cell phone. "Meet me at nine thousand Burbank boulevard and bring the hostages."

He hangs up, letting out a deep breath.

"That was good," Bela nods, frowning as the phone rings.

"It's her," Chuck says.

"Answer it," Roan encourages.

"Hello?" he asks nervously. "Oh, sorry, yeah. You're just gonna want to take the five north, that's probably the easiest just past the, you-Burbank boulevard exit, you're gonna make a left at the lights-sorry, just-you can find it."

He hangs up after Roan hits him lightly in the arm.

"Ohh this had better work," Bela says again.

"Maybe while we're waiting we can further discuss your relationship with Agent Casey?" Roan asks.

"You told him?" Chuck snorts, Bela turning to him quickly.

"Told him _what, _Chuck! There's nothing to tell," she growls, glaring at him.

"Right, right, there's nothing to tell. At all," Chuck nods, turning away.

"I do believe you two make, what do they call it, perfect matches?" Roan continues. "Both try and hide their feelings for the other, even going so far as denying them to themselves."

"Casey and I don't have feelings for each other _except _for when the cover calls for it!" she snaps.

"Right, unlike you and Bryce," Chuck smirks, Bela gasping quietly.

"Chuck!"

"Bryce?" Roan asks, intrigued.

"Another agent that she does not have any feelings for whatsoever," he smirks.

"My, my, don't we get around," Roan says, his own smile showing.

"Look who's talking!" she growls before turning back to Chuck. "What is wrong with you?"

"Maybe we should take our places before they get here," Chuck says, Roan nodding at this.

"Chuck, you know what to do," he says, before turning to Bela. "You, come with me. Are you armed by any chance?"

"No," she says, following him.

"Take this," he says, handing her a small pistol. "You do know how to shoot one of these?"

"Yes," she says, placing it in the back of her skirt.

"Who taught you, Casey or this Bryce fellow?" he smirks, causing her to growl.

"My father," she says and he nods, impressed. "They're here, shut up now."

He chuckles, but does what she says.

* * *

"Great, Chuck's trapped on the roof," she mutters before he takes her arm.

"C'mon," he whispers and she follows.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you," Roan says, both him and Bela training their weapons on Sasha.

"Roan," she growls.

"Hello, Sasha."

"I should have killed you years ago," she sighs.

"Yes, probably," he agrees. "Would you please drop your guns?"

"Who the hell is that?" one of Sasha's men asks.

"That is Roan Montgomery," Casey grins before Sarah and him turn, kicking their captor's weapons out of their hands.

Sasha kicks Roan's gun to the ground, causing him to stumble into Bela as Sasha picks up one of the abandoned ones from the floor.

"Stand back, Roan," she growls, grabbing Sarah around the throat and holding a gun to her head. "Or I'll kill her."

"Charles, where are you!" Roan growls into his watch.

"I'm on the roof!"

"Remember Thailand," he says.

"This is not time for one of your stories, Roan," Bela growls.

"Remember, _tie land_," he says more firmly.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah you were on the palace roof, and you tied a bed sheet to-" he says before realization hits him. "No, no, no, no, no, no, no!"

"Charles, try to be a spy."

"I'm not! I'm not a spy!" he yells, staring down as they exit the Buy More.

"Bring me the cipher right now or I'll kill her!" Sasha threatens.

"What's happening?" Bela whispers to Roan.

"It's all up to Charles," he says and she nods, biting her lip.

"Oh my God," she whispers as Chuck jumps screaming from the roof, the assistant manager banner tied around his waist.

He crashes into Sasha, knocking her out cold.

"Chuck! Chuck are you okay?" Sarah asks, kneeling over him as Roan takes his gun back off of Bela.

"I'm fine, how are you?" he coughs.

"I'm fine," Sarah nods, smiling down at him.

"Now, that's what I call a spy," Roan says.

* * *

"Bela, well, it's been a pleasure," Roan says, kissing the back of her hand.

"Can't say the same," she says before smiling. "But you were very helpful, so, thank you."

"Agent Casey, thanks for the accommodations," he says, shaking his hand as he steps out the door.

"Agent Montgomery."

"The reason I failed you twice was that your partner at the time was too pretty to pass," he explains, Bela snorting at this. "Should have failed her a few more times."

"Should've known," Casey smirks before closing the door.

Bela sits quietly on the kitchen counter before he joins her, resting his head against her chest.

"Are you moving back in now?" he asks as she runs her fingers lightly through his hair.

"Once I get my things from Sarah's," she says, and he moves to look up at her.

"How did you and Roan get along in my absence?" he asks and she smirks.

"I punched him."

"I noticed."

"He just kept pushing my buttons," she shrugs, staring down at him. "It was a reaction, I reacted."

"He gave you a gun?" he asks.

"He _lent_ me a gun," she corrects. "Apparently I needed to be armed, though it didn't do any good."

"We got the cipher, didn't lose any agents," he shrugs. "I'd say it went fine."

She smiles, leaning down and kissing him before straightening up and jumping down from the counter.

"I'll go get my things," she says, grabbing her keys.

"Need some help?" he asks, already making himself comfortable in the lounge room.

"No, I've got it," she smirks, shaking her head. "I'll be back soon."

* * *

"Chuck, hi," Sarah says, answering the door. He raises an eyebrow at the voices coming from inside.

"I thought Bela went back to Casey's," he says slowly.

"Not yet," she says, sighing as he pushes open the door.

"Oh," he says.

"Hi, Chuck," Bryce grins, sat down next to Bela.

"Look who's back," she grins.

* * *

A/N: Poor Casey can never get a break what with Bela's mood swings and now Bryce being back? Please review guys!


	17. Chuck vs The Break Up

A/N: A new chapter, out in time to celebrate the news of an early Chuck return! In case you haven't heard yet (really?), Chuck Season Three is premiering on January 10th with **two** brand new episodes and another brand new episode the following night. _**Three**_ Chuck episodes in _**two**_ nights? Awesome!

Anyway, in this chapter Bryce is back again! Bela's ex-fiancé, and both Chuck and Casey's enemy. And a mission that reunites the two, much to Casey's displeasure.

* * *

"Bryce, Bryce is back," Chuck nods, slowly walking into the room.

"I was about to call you," Sarah whispers, closing the door. "To keep me company."

"They that bad?" he asks.

"You should know," she says, the two making their way over.

"So, uh, Bryce? Where are you staying?" Chuck asks.

Bryce glances up at him, shrugging.

"You know I haven't actually thought that far."

"You can stay at my place," Bela suggests, Sarah raising an eyebrow.

"Bela's been staying with Casey," Chuck explains, and she looks down at this.

"Well, I wouldn't want to stay there without you, I mean-just think of the mischief I'd get into," he smirks.

"I'm sure I can talk Casey into letting me stay there a couple days," she laughs.

"And I would like to be there when you do," Chuck says, Sarah hiding her grin.

"Well, I'm gonna go," Bela says slowly, standing up.

"I'll join you," Bryce says, following.

"Thank you again for letting me stay," Bela says, smiling at Sarah.

"You were staying here?" he asks, confused.

"I'll explain in the car," she says and he nods. "Uhm, enjoy your evening guys."

"Bye, Bela, Bryce," Sarah smiles, Chuck waving as she walks them to the door.

"That was uncomfortable," Chuck laughs as she returns.

"That's one word for it," she smiles before glancing at his clothes. "White shoes, Chuck?"

"To match the jacket," he says slowly, looking down at himself.

"Let's open that bottle of wine, then," she laughs as she takes the rose from him.

* * *

"Took your time," Casey says, glancing up as Bela walks in. "Where's your stuff?"

She takes a deep breath, running a hand through her hair.

"What is it?" he sighs.

"Uhm..." she says slowly.

"Bela?"

"Bryce is back," she says quickly, biting her lip.

"He is, is he?" he asks, standing up. "And?"

"And, I may have invited him to stay at my apartment… with me," she explains, laughing nervously as he makes his way over to her.

He shuts his eyes, letting out a breath before looking at her again.

"I'm sorry, I'm just incredibly nervous right now," she says, trying to cover her laughs.

"Stay with him," he shrugs, turning around.

"Wait, what?" she asks.

"I've got surveillance in your apartment, I'll know if you do anything," he says.

"Casey-" she frowns.

"Go," he says, moving back into the lounge room.

"Alright," she nods, making her way to the door. "I'll talk to you tomorrow."

She leaves when he doesn't say anything more.

* * *

"Morning," Chuck grins as Bela walks into the Buy More.

"What?" she asks as he follows her.

"How'd it go?"

"How did what go exactly?" she frowns, taking a seat behind the Nerd Herd desk.

"With Casey, with Bryce," he says, leaning next to her.

"Casey said I could stay with him," she shrugs before interrupting him. "And he slept on the couch."

"What a gentleman," he smirks, Morgan joining them.

"Who's a gentleman?" he asks, curious.

"Bela's ex," Chuck explains and she rolls her eyes. "He's in town and staying with her, sleeping on the couch."

"What?" he chuckles. "What does John think of all this?"

"He's fine," Bela deadpans as Casey gestures for Chuck and her to join him.

"Lunchbreak, Orange Orange," he growls, running his eyes over Bela briefly before seeming satisfied.

"Looking for love bites?" she teases, Chuck turning to her in disbelief. "He slept on the couch, Casey."

He grabs her arm, holding her back.

"We'll be there in a minute," he grunts to Chuck, waiting for him to leave before dragging her into the theatre room.

"Casey, I'm sorry it was a really tactless joke," she says, turning around to face him.

He grabs her roughly, pulling her against him as he presses her up against the back of the couch.

"Mmm, Casey," she grins, turning her head. "We're gonna be late."

"Since when have you cared about that?" he growls, his lips sliding down her neck.

"Oh I know what this is about," she says, resting her hands on the edge of the couch. "It's about Bryce."

He freezes at that, pulling back.

"Had to say his name," he says, shaking his head.

"You've barely said anything to me since last night, and now you pull me in here for an impromptu make out session?" she asks. "You're turning this into something that it's not."

"All I'm doing is playing my part as your cover boyfriend," he smirks as she straightens her clothes.

"Uh huh," she says, pushing her hair back behind her ears. "Whatever you say."

"Come on, we're gonna be late," he says, taking her hand. She lets out a laugh at this as she follows. "Did you sleep well?"

"Did you?" she smirks. "Or were you up on your surveillance equipment all night?"

"Just making sure you were alright, which in case you've forgotten is my job," he says.

She shakes her head as they enter the back of the Orange Orange.

"You're late," Sarah says as they make their way down the stairs.

"Had something to take care of," Casey says as Bela sits opposite Chuck at the table.

"I can see," he snorts, Bela looking up at him curiously.

"What?" she asks.

"Not now," Casey says, nodding to the screen as General Beckman clears her throat.

"Is there something you would like to share with the rest of the class mister Bartowski?" she asks.

"No, sorry, General," he apologizes. "Zipping it up."

"The Fulcrum threat is far worse than it originally appeared," she explains. "We've learnt one of their agents stole two encrypted microchips containing top secret information out of the DNI. The information on the chips contain highly classified intelligence, a refresh for the new intersect."

"Is there anything on the chips that could compromise our cover?" Sarah asks.

"Unfortunately yes," she says. "Agent Larkin has learnt that Fulcrum hired Von Hayes, a wealthy software magnate to decrypt the chips and deliver the encoded information back to them. Mr Hayes is throwing a lavish party at his Bel Air estate this evening, the finest dining, music, and food. Your job will be to pose as a married couple and steal back the chips."

"See, this is what I'm talking about General! Finally a mission I can sink my teeth into, dust off the tux, polish up the dancin' shoes," Chuck grins.

"No, _Chuck," _the General says. "This mission is going to require a _real_ spy."

"Sarah is a real spy..." Bela says, shrugging.

"Yes, but _you_ and Agent Walker cannot pose as a married couple," she explains, Bela raising an eyebrow.

"Casey?"

"Guess again," Sarah whispers, Bryce descending the stairs.

"Sorry I'm late," he apologizes. "LA traffic's still the worst."

"Bryce will be posing as Bela's husband," Beckman explains. "Chuck, you'll be posing as a waiter. Both of you try and flash on and identify the Fulcrum agent."

"Oh you've got to be kidding me," Bela whispers as Bryce gets down on his knee next to her.

"Old habits," he grins, sliding the ring onto her finger.

"With all due respect General, why aren't Sarah and I posing as the married couple on this mission?" Chuck asks.

"I can explain," Bryce says, the General nodding before ending the connection.

"Well?" Chuck asks as Bryce takes a seat next to Bela.

"It was more of a personal preference," he shrugs, Casey grunting at this.

"We get personal preference?" Chuck asks, turning to Sarah.

"No, but I do," Bryce beams, glancing at Bela before doing a double take. "Really, Casey? That the best you got?"

He shrugs, turning away.

"What are you talking about?" she asks, confused.

"Casey left you a little present before," Chuck says, tapping his own neck.

"Son of a bitch!" Bela hisses, quickly placing her hand against hers. "Casey!"

"We can cover it up for tonight," Bryce says, taking her hand. "We're gonna go get some lunch, discuss our cover."

"Bela, you still have work today," Chuck reminds her, Casey looking as if he was about to say the same thing.

"I'll be back after lunch," she smiles, following Bryce up the stairs.

* * *

"Hey," Ellie says, rushing over to Chuck.

"Hey, I was just on my way home I've got this thing I gotta do with Sarah, what's going on?" he asks.

"Is Bela or Casey around?" she asks anxiously and he shakes his head. "Well, I went by the Orange Orange to ask Sarah to be a bridesmaid."

"That is so sweet, Ellie," he smiles and she nods.

"Chuck, when I got there I saw Bela holding hands with another man," she says.

"Really, uh, did you get a good look at him?" he asks.

"Well I couldn't because he was facing the other way but dark hair, sort of classically handsome," she explains.

"I don't know if I'd call him classically handsome," Chuck says. "Maybe from like a weird angle or from really far away... anyway uh, that's her-one of her exes. He's in town for a few days and he's staying with her."

"He's _staying_ with her?" Ellie asks eyes wide. "But what about John?"

"It's complicated," Chuck says. "He's-they're dealing with it."

"Hey, guys," Bela smiles, walking over to the two.

"Bela!" Ellie grins, quickly pulling her into a hug.

'She knows,' Chuck mouths to her, Bela staring at him even more confused.

"Good to see you, too," Bela says, laughing nervously as Ellie pulls back.

"I was just about to ask Sarah to be a bridesmaid," she says. "You're still going to be one, right?"

"Of course!" she beams. "That's so nice of you to ask Sarah."

"And you'll still be bringing John, right?" Ellie asks, Chuck and Bela now realizing why Ellie was asking all those questions.

"Yes, definitely," she says, smiling. "We'll be there. Together."

"Great!" Ellie beams. "Okay, well I'm going to go see Sarah, I'll see you later."

"See ya!" Chuck says, Bela waving before slowly turning to him.

"She knows about Bryce?" she asks.

"She knows your ex is in town and that he's staying with you," he explains.

"Oh, Chuck," she sighs, running a hand through her hair. "You didn't have to tell her that."

"Bela," Casey says, resting a hand on her back as he joins them.

"Come to give me another present?" she asks, pursing her lips as she glances up at him.

"If you're good," he says, Chuck shaking his head as he walks away from the two. "Ready to go?"

"Yes," she sighs. "Let's get this over with."

"What, the mission? Thought you'd be happy about it," he grunts, glancing down at her.

"Oh I'm just ecstatic that Bryce and you are making me the trophy in your pissing contest," she deadpans, Casey holding in his laughter at her language.

"There's no contest," he says after a moment.

"Uh huh," she says, unconvinced. "You keep telling yourself that."

* * *

"Get changed, Walker and Bartowski will be here soon," Casey says to Bela as they walk into her apartment.

"Finally," Bryce says, glancing at the two from the kitchen.

"Glad you've made yourself at home," Bela smirks before Casey pushes her forward.

"We're waiting for you," he growls, following her to the hallway.

"You can both wait out here," she says before hesitating. "Don't break anything."

Casey glares at Bryce as he moves into the kitchen, grabbing a beer from the fridge.

"Drinking before a mission, Casey?" he mocks. "All you have to do is sit in a van; I'll be doing all the work."

"Yeah, and you'd better be watching her every second of this mission 'cause if she gets harmed in any way-"

"Don't worry, I'll keep her right by my side the entire night," he says, hand over his heart. "Plus, you've put her in more danger than I ever have. I've seen the scars."

"Listen here, Larkin!" Casey starts, stepping towards him.

"Would you two just stop it!" Bela yells, storming out of her room. Casey and Bryce stop arguing immediately, both sets of eyes drawn to her.

"You look amazing, Bells," Bryce grins, Casey pushing his way past to stand in front of her.

"You look incredible," he says, leaning towards her. She pulls back as the front door opens, Chuck and Sarah joining them.

"Oh thank God," Bela sighs, moving towards Sarah. "Can you please zip me up?"

"Of course," Sarah nods as Bela turns, Chuck staring at Casey and Bryce confused.

"Couldn't one of you-" Chuck starts before they turn to him, glaring. "Never mind."

* * *

"You look beautiful," Bryce whispers, Bela grinning as he pulls back.

"You don't look so bad yourself," she teases, taking a sip of champagne.

"Hungry?" he asks, feeding her a strawberry.

"I think you're enjoying this a little too much," she smirks, looking down as Von Hayes addresses everyone at the party.

"Just playing the part," he whispers in her ear before his lips meet her neck.

"Jesus," Casey mutters, turning away from the surveillance.

"It's their cover," Sarah reminds him, smiling lightly as she watches Chuck on the screen.

"Maybe you should get your boy to do his job instead of watching those two the whole night," he says.

"Casey, switch seats with me now," Sarah says, standing up.

"What? No," he says, glancing at his own screen before quickly looking away.

"You're not even watching them, switch with me _now_," Sarah growls and he gives in, taking her seat and growling as he sees Chuck.

"Hey, Bartowski," he snaps. "Von Hayes is at table eight, grab a bottle of wine and see if you flash on anybody."

"See, doesn't it feel better when you do your job?" Sarah teases, Casey turning to glare at her. "Did you know Bela could dance?"

"Apparently Bartowski didn't," he says. "Hey, quit screwing around Bartowski now get close to Von Hayes."

"They're doing great," Sarah says, monitoring her own screen.

"Casey, I didn't flash on anything," Chuck says into his watch.

"Keep looking, get your head in the game," Casey orders before growling as he drops a bottle of wine. "Do I even want to know what he was just staring at?"

"No," Sarah says, a smile playing at her lips. "You don't."

* * *

"Bartowski!" Casey growls as he gets taken outside by security. "Where are the others?"

"They're at the vault, Chuck can come back to the van," Sarah says, watching her screen.

"No, I flashed on a Fulcrum agent but I didn't see her face," Chuck says.

"Wait, wait, we need to know what she looks like, go back inside and get me a real I.D.," Casey says.

"I'm locked out!" he says into the camera.

"Yeah, well since I'm not a complete idiot like a certain someone by which I mean you, I tapped into the security system," he growls. "Try it now."

"Pretty impressive Casey."

"Just get in there and find the Fulcrum agent, you've got five minutes, go!"

"Don't rush him," Sarah says, frowning as she watches the others.

"Are you saying he's got more time?"

"Just don't pressure him."

"Don't baby him," he says, glancing at her. "You're too protective of him."

"Do not start this argument again, Casey," she warns.

"Larkin, Von Hayes is on the move," Casey says, ignoring Sarah.

"Where?" Bela asks.

"He's headed for the front, he's got the chips."

"Freeze, Federal agents!" Bryce yells at Von Hayes.

"Hey!" Casey interrupts. "Fulcrum agent has Chuck; she's leaving out the back door."

"How are you armed?" Bryce laughs, watching Bela pull out a gun.

"I have my ways," she teases. "I'm going to follow Chuck, you go after Von Hayes."

"No," he says, shaking his head. "There's no way I'm leaving you."

"I'm armed, I'll be fine," she says.

"Bela," he warns before she kisses him silent.

"Trust me," she smiles before running off. He growls, watching her before quickly chasing after Von Hayes.

She sighs in relief when she doesn't hear him following, her gun ready as she steps outside.

"Chuck, duck and cover!" Bela yells, shooting at the Fulcrum agent as Chuck drops to the ground.

She crouches behind the gate as a car pulls around, the agent quickly jumping inside.

"Are you okay?" Bela asks as she reaches Chuck.

"Why do you have a gun!" he yells, cowering on the ground as she leans over him.

"Because I'm special," she pants. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah, yeah... are you beeping?" he asks, staring down at her confused. She shakes her head before noticing the bomb on the ground behind them.

"Run!" she screams, pushing Chuck in front of her and behind the car before tripping as the device explodes.

"Oh my God," Chuck says, quickly checking himself for injuries as he slowly stands up. "Bela are you-Bela!"

He kneels down next to her, his eyes running over her as he already notices some scrapes on her forehead.

"Uh Casey-Casey!" Chuck yells into his watch. "We've got a situation here-now!"

* * *

"Hey," Chuck grins, walking into Bela's hospital room.

"Hey," she sighs, sitting up. "No flowers?"

He laughs, shaking his head as he stares at the wall of flowers.

"Bryce or Casey?" he asks.

"Both," she says. "And a couple from Sarah, too."

"Well, I did bring you something," he says, holding up a bag. "I checked with Ellie if it was okay."

"Real food!" she grins as he sets it down in front of her. "This is better than any amount of flowers, Chuck!"

"How are you feeling?" he asks, sitting down beside her on the bed. "Ellie said you had a concussion."

"Oh, it's just a minor concussion," she says between mouthfuls. "I'm fine, though I doubt I'll be able to go on another mission for a while if Casey has any say in it."

"He was pretty mad," Chuck says, smiling lightly. "I thought he was going to kill Bryce at one point."

"They'll get over it," she jokes.

"You really think that?" he chuckles.

"Oh God I hope so," she grins, shaking her head. "I really do."

They both look up as Bryce walks in, a small bandage covering the cut on his cheek.

"Hey Bells, how're you feeling?" Devon asks, following him in.

"You tell me," she smiles as he flips through her chart.

"Great," he smiles, walking around to the side of her bed. "Looks like they'll release you in a few hours."

"Awesome," she smiles.

"Indeed," he chuckles, noting a couple things down as he checks her IV.

"I'm gonna head into work now, Casey said he'd be in to see you when he finishes," Chuck says, standing up.

"Looking forward to it," she nods, waving at both Chuck and Devon as they leave.

"Hey," Bryce says, finally taking a seat next to her.

"Hey," she says, smiling lightly. "I see Devon got to you?"

"He's not the nicest doctor," he smirks. "And if you had an over-protective big brother, he'd be it."

"He's just looking out for me," she explains. "And he's a big fan of Casey, so you being the ex is not helping him like you."

"I've kept my word and slept on the couch," he reminds her.

"Yeah, well _I_ know that," she snorts. "But other people wouldn't, would they?"

"Casey would," he nods. "I bet he hasn't turned off his surveillance since the minute I got here."

"Damn straight," Casey says from the doorway. "Good reason for it too, look at where she is right now."

"I'll see you later," Bryce says, kissing Bela's hand before standing up. Casey straightens up, the two bumping shoulders as they pass.

"Oh my God," Bela sighs, shaking her head at them.

Casey closes the door before sitting himself down next to her.

"Hey," he says, leaning down and kissing her. "How are you feeling?"

"Like I'm gonna shoot the next person who asks me that question," she smirks. "How is the mission going?"

"Chuck's _negotiated_ the return of the microchips," he explains. "In exchange for four point five million dollars in taxpayer money."

"Hey, at least you're getting the chips," she reminds him, resting her hand on his.

He nods, both looking up as Ellie walks in.

"Hey, guys," she smiles, setting her tray down beside them.

"You're about to do something unpleasant to me, aren't you?" Bela says as she eyes the bandages and tools on the tray.

"If removing your IV so that we can release you is unpleasant, then yes," Ellie nods, pulling in a pair of gloves.

"I'll suffer through it," Bela says, gripping Casey's hand as he prepares to move.

"Don't even think about going anywhere."

"Thought you had a high pain threshold?" he asks sceptically.

"It comes and goes," she says, wincing as Ellie pulls the needle out of her hand before applying a small bandage.

"Alright," she smiles. "Once you're dressed just find me at the desk so you can sign your discharge papers and then you can go."

"Thanks Ellie," she smiles, watching her go before turning to Casey. "Guess I'll be joining you guys when you do the exchange."

"Like hell you will," he says, frowning. "You're going straight home."

"I've been discharged, I'm fine," she says, standing up. "And if you won't let me come, then I'm sure Bryce will."

"Not if I break his face," Casey mutters as she walks into the bathroom.

"Look, two intersects are better than one," she says as she changes. "You need both Chuck and me there; things will go a lot more smoothly alright?"

"Fine," he growls as she walks out fully clothes. "But you don't leave my side."

"Fine," she agrees.

* * *

"I can't believe Casey let you come," Sarah says, sitting next to Bela as they watch Chuck stand, slowly making his way over to Von Hayes with a large duffel bag.

"I have my ways of convincing him," she smirks, Sarah screwing her face up at this. "Not like that!"

Sarah laughs, both turning back to watch Chuck.

"Oh boy, he's not doing well," Bela notes.

"He's trying," Sarah says, keeping her eyes on him.

"See, like right now I know you have feelings for him but if I ask you're simply going to say-"

"He's my cover boyfriend and I'm his cover girlfriend, that's all," she says, turning away as she blushes slightly.

"And I could also comment on the fact that your cheeks turn red every time we bring up this topic, couldn't I?" she teases.

"Thank God," she sighs in relief as Von Hayes runs off.

"You should not be relieved about this!" Bela says, running along next to her before stopping next to Chuck.

"Stay here!" Casey orders before following Von Hayes.

"Don't you need this?" Chuck asks, holding up the bag as they slowly follow.

"I think they went this way," Bela nods, the two walking up a set of stairs.

"Really? I thought I saw them run over there," he says, pointing in the direction he last saw Sarah run.

"Sorry, fellas. Someone's paid us a lot of money to take those chips," a man says, the two hurrying up the stairs.

"Hold on!" Bela interrupts, Casey wincing when he hears her. "Wait; don't do anything, no shooting!"

Chuck and Bela swallow as a gun gets turned towards them now.

"Excuse us, gentlemen!" Chuck continues, slowly walking forward as Bela holds his arm. "May we have your attention please? Um, in my hands I'm holding four point five million dollars in unmarked bills. Now I'm not sure what the current going rate for thug for hire work is, but I'm feeling pretty confident that it's a lot less than this."

He sets the bag down on the ground in front of them, stepping back slightly.

"Now all we ask is that you let Von Hayes and our two friends here go," she says. "And the money's all yours. Or you can die horrible deaths in a hail of gunfire-the choice is yours, really."

The men cautiously take the bag before making their way down the stairs.

"That was amazing! Thank you," Von Hayes says, embracing the two.

"No, no, no, don't encourage them!" Casey interrupts, snatching the chips out of Von Hayes' hand.

"You know a little appreciation wouldn't kill ya," Bela says.

"Yeah, I mean we did get the microchips back," Chuck shrugs.

"You also gave away four point five million dollars in taxpayer money," Casey says before making his way towards the stairs.

"Where are you going?" Chuck asks.

"To get it back, idiot," he says.

* * *

"You know we don't need Casey to tell us we're good spies," Chuck says to Bela as they follow Bryce and Von Hayes. "I mean I think we're doing fine. I mean the fact of the matter is, it's really not as hard as it's cracked up to be anyway."

"Alright, let's try this one more time," the Fulcrum agent says as she grabs Bela, holding a gun to her throat. "The microchips, please."

"Hey!" Bryce says trying to grab Von Hayes as he runs away but letting him go, his gun aimed at the agent.

Chuck slowly steps back before moving to stand behind Bryce.

"The microchips now!" she repeats.

"Once you release her," Bryce growls.

"Give me the chips and I'll let her go," she offers. "Promise."

Bryce notices Casey and raises his hands, slowly setting the gun on the ground before sliding it over to her.

"The chips," she says, becoming annoyed.

"Bryce," Bela pleads before the gun presses harder against her neck.

He nods, sliding them to her.

"There, now release her," he says.

"Sorry," she whispers, stepping back and pulling Bela along with her.

"You got it?" he calls to Casey, who had his gun trained on them.

"Yeah, I got it," he mutters.

"Take it. Take the shot, Casey," he says, panicking when nothing happens. "Casey! Take the shot! Take it!"

Bela winces as she hears a gunshot, sighing in relief when the Fulcrum agent drops her gun as she falls to the ground.

"You okay?" Sarah asks, walking up behind Bela as she holds her gun in one hand, Von Hayes' arm in the other.

"Mhmm," Bela nods as Chuck quickly embraces her.

* * *

"Bela," Bryce grins as she walks into her apartment.

"Jesus," she whispers, letting out a breath.

"Why so jumpy?" he laughs as she joins him in the kitchen.

She grabs a bottle of water before turning to him.

"Why are you still here?" she asks quietly.

"You think I'd leave without saying goodbye?" he whispers, leaning closer to her.

She laughs, moving back from him before making her way into her bedroom.

"What are you doing?" she asks as she unbuttons her shirt. He stands in the doorway watching her.

He says nothing, moving towards her and backing her against her bed.

"I'm not sleeping with you," she smiles, hesitating as he pushes her onto her back.

"I never said anything about sex," he smirks, leaning over her as she stares up at him.

"Bryce," she whispers as he kisses her, his hand reaching into his jacket pocket and taking something out.

"Here," he says, placing a pair of sunglasses on her head before kissing her again.

"What are these for?" she asks as she sits up, watching as he picks up his bag.

"You'll see," he grins. "Ciao, Bela!"

She watches him leave, pulling the glasses on before they flash in front of her eyes.

"What the..." she whispers, the retinal activation scan starting. She stares as all the images flicker across her eyes once again, 'intersect update complete' coming up as the images cease, and she falls back onto the bed.

"Damn it, Bryce," she whispers before passing out.

* * *

Casey frowns, noting the lights on in Bela's apartment before slipping the key into the lock. He reaches for his gun as he pushes the door open.

He stops in the doorway, staring at Bela. She was on the treadmill, glancing at him before her eyes focused back on the TV.

"You're home then," he says, sitting on the armrest of the couch.

"Yep," she says, taking a sip of water. He watches her run for a while before frowning.

"Did you get the update?" he asks. She stares at him incredulous.

"You knew?" she yells, throwing her towel at him. "Son of a bitch!"

"What did you think the chips were for?" he asks.

"The intersect; but the _actual_ intersect," she puffs.

"Why would it need two?"

"Right," she nods, shaking her head. "Stupid me."

He sighs, glancing at the TV before reaching for the remote.

"I'm watching that," she nods, turning off the treadmill. She snatches the remote out of his reach, sitting on the opposite end of the couch. "What happened today?"

"What do you mean?" he asks, looking away.

"Why couldn't you shoot that Fulcrum agent?" she asks slowly.

He sighs, turning to her.

"I didn't have a clear shot. If I'd have fired, there's a chance I would've hit you, too," he explains. "That's not a chance I'm willing to take."

"But it wouldn't matter, you'd still get the chips," she shrugs and he pulls her to him, his lips pressing against hers.

"It _would_ matter," he growls, his eyes staring into hers. "I was _not_ going to shoot you."

She nods, smiling as he kisses her again.

"We have to get changed, Ellie's invited us over for dinner," she says and he groans, resting his head back against the couch.

"Tell them you're still recovering," he says.

"We're going," she orders, climbing onto his lap. "You can annoy Chuck, and talk to Devon about extreme water sports."

"I'd rather attempt some extreme water sports with you, in the shower, right now," he growls, his teeth nipping at her jaw.

She laughs, pulling away.

"Maybe later," she smiles, standing up.

"Promise?" he asks as she pulls him up.

"Depends on how you behave tonight," she snorts. "Now go change. I'll meet you at your place in ten."

"Fine," he mutters.

* * *

A/N: Ahh, Bryce. Always causing some kind of trouble in Team Chuck's life. Next chapter Bela and Casey have something a lot worse than Bryce to deal with. Please review!


	18. Chuck vs The Cougars

A/N: Just a warning, if you get to the end of this chapter without wanting to strangle me, then you are very awesome. You'll see why when you get to the end. And this chapter is shorter than usual, mainly because a lot of it is cut out. So the next chapter should be normal length, give or take. Anyway, please review.

* * *

"Your girlfriend's here," Bela informs Chuck, nodding to the front of the Buy More as Sarah walks towards them.

"Is it lunch time already?" he asks, noticing her expression change quickly. "What?"

"Don't talk about food right now," she says, shaking her head.

"This is a first, you and food not getting along-" he starts before she clamps a hand over his mouth.

"Stop saying that word!" she growls.

"Am I interrupting?" Sarah asks, a smile playing at her lips as she glances between the two.

"No, I think we're good," Bela says, slowly removing her hand.

"Are you here for lunch? Or maybe to discuss dinner plans?" Chuck asks cheerfully, Bela growling before quickly making her way over to Casey.

"Hey," she says, leaning against the shelf as he scans the merchandise.

"You look pale, have you eaten yet?" he asks, ignoring her for the most part.

"Why do people keep saying things like that!" she sighs, irritated.

"You didn't eat breakfast this morning, I'm concerned," he shrugs. "You eat breakfast every morning, sometimes twice a day."

"Can you stop talking about f-food?" she asks, covering her mouth briefly.

"If you're getting sick, you're staying in the spare room," he says bluntly. "I don't wanna catch anything."

She stands there speechless as Chuck and Sarah join them.

"Bogie at your six," Sarah says, Casey turning around to look.

"Roger that," he says. "Secure the assets immediately, take them to the Orange Orange."

"Come on, guys," she says, pulling Chuck and Bela along with her.

"What's going on?" Chuck asks, confused.

"Just hurry up," she insists, making them walk faster.

"Guess we're not having lunch," he shrugs, Bela whacking him in the chest.

"You both stay here," Sarah orders once they're in the castle.

"Why, what's going on?" Chuck asks as Bela immediately takes a seat.

"We have a suspicious tail, so until we establish the depth of the threat you're both staying put," she orders. "Don't move, touch nothing, and wait for me or Casey-got it?"

"Yeah," he shrugs, Bela nodding before Sarah leaves. He turns, noticing for the first time the computer on the wall. "Oh wow... Bela check this out."

She's looks up, shrugging.

"I'm not in the mood."

"Not in the mood-Bells this-I can't believe I'm this close to an actual DU97," he says, muttering on about it as Bela rests her head against the cold desk.

"She's so beautiful," he sighs before taking a seat next to her.

"What are you doing?" she mumbles, lifting her head up as she hears him typing. "Are these all the surveillance cameras?"

"Looks like it," he says, flicking through them.

"I'm gonna kill Casey," she mutters as one of the screens comes up showing her bedroom.

"You live with him now, I doubt he spies on you as much," he chuckles.

"You're so very comforting," she deadpans as he finds the screen he wants. "Now _you're_ spying?"

"Eh," he shrugs, watching Sarah talk to a woman in the Orange Orange.

"High school," Bela snorts, shaking her head. "Poor Sarah. I guess this mean's she's not a threat."

She leans back in her chair, resting her hands on her stomach as they continue to watch.

"Jenny Burton?" they say in unison, Chuck standing up.

"Where are you going?" she asks, spinning around in her chair to face him before immediately regretting that action. "Oh man."

"I'll just tell Sarah I had to get away from all the puke," he shrugs, holding the door open for her as she runs out.

* * *

"I see you found the bathroom," Casey says, startling Bela as she finishes washing her hands.

"Sorry, I was sick," she says, rolling her eyes as Casey takes a visible step back.

"There's antibacterial gel next to the door," he nods.

"Thanks for the concern, Major," she growls.

"What the hell were you thinking, Chuck!" Sarah yells, storming past him into the main room in the castle.

"What was I supposed to do, I flashed on the guy," Chuck shrugs.

"Those people are from my past, a past you have no business poking around in," she growls.

"Well I'm sorry, I was just trying to do my job I thought you'd be happy I used a little initiative," he says as they take a seat at the table.

"Ah don't kill the messenger, not the kid's fault you went to High School with a treasonous scumbag," Casey says before nodding at Bela. "And watch out for her, she might be contagious."

"It's food poisoning, I'm _fine_," she says through clenched teeth. "Though keep those comments up Casey, see how far they get you."

"Good morning boys and girls," General Beckman says as she comes up onto the screen. "First matter of business, Mark Ratner. He's an engineer at Winthrop Keller Aeronautics, has clearance to extremely sensitive plans for future weapons technology; picture the next generation of F22 Raptors, essentially a super bomb."

Bela and Chuck glance at Casey as he groans, and he looks down momentarily when he notices.

"This technology has been leaked, Chuck's instincts were good," she continues. "Your mission is to go to dinner with the Ratner's, see if Chuck flashes off of anything. Bela and Casey will be staff."

"General, I apologize but I'm afraid that I must refuse myself from this mission," Sarah explains. "My cover has been compromised-"

"Agent Walker," Beckman continues. "You have pre-existing social history with the target, seems to me like you have the perfect cover."

"But it's not a cover, it's me," she says.

"Well, I hope _you_ enjoy Italian food," Beckman says, Bela turning pale at this. "Bon Appétit."

She ends the link as Bela quickly stands up, rushing down the hallway again.

"She is definitely sleeping in the spare room," Casey notes as he stands up.

* * *

"Wake up!" Casey says, shaking Bela. She groans, muttering something before swatting in his general direction. "Come on, you gotta get dressed for the mission."

"I don't wanna go on a mission today."

"Tonight."

"Whatever."

"You're an intersect, you have to go," he says, trying to pull her up.

"Casey-John," she says, knowing the use of his first name would get his attention. "I really, _really_ don't see myself being able to go on this mission tonight. There's a ninety nine percent chance that if I flash, I will puke."

"And a one percent chance?"

"That I will stab you if you make me go," she threatens, sitting up slowly.

"Fine, you don't go," he sighs. "But you don't stay by yourself, either."

"Your place is fine, no one will get in here," she mumbles. "And I promise I will stay here in the spare bed in the spare room and keep my non-contagious food poisoning all to myself."

She goes to lie back down before he wraps an arm around her, pulling her up.

"Like the last time when someone tried to kill you?" he asks. "I'll drop you off at the castle on the way to the restaurant."

"Can't I just stay here, please?" she asks, staring up at him hopefully. "Please, Casey, let me stay."

"Fine," he sighs. "But you don't move from this level. You don't go downstairs; you don't answer the door, nothing. And you keep this next to you."

She raises an eyebrow as he sets a firearm on the table next to the bed.

"You're serious," she says.

"You stay here armed or you don't stay here at all," he says firmly.

"Okay," she nods before groaning. "Why are you being so mean?"

"I'm not good with sick people," he shrugs, watching her stretch. "Germs, it's disgusting."

"Could'a fooled me!" she says, feigning shock.

"Funny," he says, going to kiss her before stopping himself. He pats her on the shoulder before stepping back.

"You're a real romantic," she jokes.

"Do not leave this apartment," he says firmly.

"Yes sir," she nods, saluting him before he leaves.

* * *

"Bela," Ellie smiles, opening the front door. "Chuck's gone out with Sarah..."

"I came to see you, actually," she says, smiling slightly.

"Oh, of course, come in," she nods, Bela quickly making her way inside before glancing around.

"Is Devon...?"

"He's working tonight," she smiles, offering Bela a seat on the couch.

She sits down quickly, her hands clutching her bag tightly.

"How are you feeling?" she asks. "Chuck said you've been unwell."

"That's kind of why I'm here, actually," she nods.

"What's wrong?" she asks.

"I have a very large favor to ask of you," she says nervously. "I-I, uh, um..."

"Bela, please, we've known each other how long? You're basically a sister to me, please just tell me what it is," Ellie says comfortingly.

She nods, reaching into her bag.

"It's clean, mostly," she apologizes, delicately holding the small device out.

Ellie takes it immediately, staring down at the screen.

"When did you take this?" she asks.

"About ten minutes ago," she says.

"Does John-"

"No! No, I didn't want to-I don't want to tell him, unless it's-I just don't want him to know," she says.

"Alright, well when is your next day off?" Ellie asks, taking out her phone.

"Tomorrow," Bela says nervously.

"I'm gonna make time for you to come in and see me tomorrow, we'll run some tests just to confirm and then we'll go from there okay?" she asks, Bela nodding slowly. "Everything is going to be okay."

* * *

"Morning," Casey says, walking into the bathroom.

Bela jumps, quickly pulling her shirt down.

"What are you doing?" he asks.

"Nothing!" she says quickly turning away.

"What are you looking at?" he asks, pulling her shirt back up.

"Nothing!" she repeats, slapping at his hands.

He rests his hand flat against her stomach, watching for her reaction.

"What are _you_ doing?" she asks eyes wide.

"I found the stick," he says, watching her.

"What stick-what are you-?"

"You left your bag downstairs," he shrugs. "So is it true?"

"I don't know what happened," she whispers, running a hand through her hair. "I'm on the pill, this shouldn't have happened!"

He watches her in silence, a smile playing at his lips as she continues.

"And you! This is why I use the pill _and_ condoms, Casey! To prevent things like this from happening! But no, you just had to say no to the condoms! Oh you don't need them; you won't catch anything from me! Everything will be-Mmm!"

He presses his lips against hers, silencing her immediately.

"Are you done?" he asks as they part.

"What are we going to do?" she whispers, and he brushes away the tears falling down her cheeks.

"We'll deal with it," he shrugs.

"I don't know what that means," she sobs, staring up at him.

He kisses her again, pulling her closer.

"I take it you left the house last night," he says.

"Uhm... maybe?" she says slowly, shifting to look up at him. "Just to the pharmacy and then to see Ellie."

"Is that why you wanted to stay home, so you could do all of this?" he asks.

"No," she says quickly, shaking her head. "Not completely, I really was feeling sick."

"And how are you feeling now?" he whispers, his lips sliding down her neck.

"Now you'll kiss me?" she asks in disbelief.

"Babies aren't contagious," he says, and she pulls a face at this. "What?"

"Don't say that," she says, shaking her head. "We don't even know for sure yet and if I am, I don't know what I'm actually going to do."

"What do _you_ mean," he asks slowly.

"Kids hate me," she shrugs. "They either scream at me or stare at me, and they creep me out."

"And?"

"Why do you think I used so much birth control?" she asks.

"You don't want kids?" he asks.

"I don't," she says. "Do you?"

He thinks about it for a moment before shrugging.

"I don't know."

"How did you go last night?" she asks, swiftly changing the subject.

"We've got Ratner in the castle, I'm going in with Chuck to interrogate him this morning," he explains.

"Do you need me to come?" she asks.

"No," he says, shaking his head. "You're off the mission until after your tests."

"But I actually feel okay," she protests. "I haven't felt nauseous all day."

"You're not coming," he says more firmly.

"Fine," she grumbles and he chuckles, kissing her before leaving.

* * *

"Bela!" Lester yells as she walks into the store. "I'm so glad you're here, I need another authority figure _now!_"

"No, no, no, no, no, _no_," she mutters, sitting herself on the Nerd Herd desk. "I'm not here working; I'm just here to relax."

"Bela, _please_, I need your help! No one will listen to me!" he pleads.

"Lester, honestly, what do you think I could possibly do to help right now?" she asks, staring down at him.

"Make it all stop?" he asks hopefully. "End this _disaster_ before the store is ruined!"

"Lester I-" she starts before they both turn to see a man dancing with Norman, Big Mike's Marlin.

"Give him to me," Lester says to him slowly.

"Find your own freakin' fish!" he growls, continuing to dance.

"Give me the fish!" Lester yells, launching at them and grabbing onto Norman.

They struggle until the end snaps off in his hand.

"Norman!" he yells as he's handed the rest of the fish.

"You just broke Norman," Bela snorts, watching him freak out. "Big Mike's gonna kill you."

He stares at her before turning, making his way up to the set up DJ station.

"That's it!" he yells, cutting off the music. "Party's over, get out! Right now!"

Everyone ignores him as the music starts again, everyone resuming dancing.

"So I'm gonna go..." Bela says slowly as Lester joins her again.

"Go, leave, I don't care anymore everything is ruined!" he says, looking around.

"Well I'll see you tomorrow," she says, patting him on the shoulder. "Text Chuck or me if the store burns down before then, just so we know we don't have to come in."

"Comforting, Bela, very comforting!" he calls after her.

* * *

"Damn it Bela, what the hell are you doing!" Chuck yells, jumping as he walks into his room. She was sitting on the floor next to his bed, flipping through comic books.

"Heya, Chuck," she says absentmindedly. "Is your sister home, yet?"

"Why?" he asks slowly.

"Because I need to talk to her that's why," she says, glancing up at him.

"You tell me why, I'll tell you whether she is," he says, sitting down beside her.

She takes a deep breath, clenching her fists.

"Did a pregnancy test," she says, waiting for his reaction. She looks over when he says nothing. "It was positive."

"Does Casey...?"

"Yeah, he knows," she nods, both staring at the wall in front of them. "He took it surprisingly well. I'm a little uncomfortable with how well he took it, actually."

"He told me last night that love is for suckers," he notes.

"Pfft, love _is_ for suckers," she snorts, glancing at him. "Did he say anything else?"

"He kept to himself for most of the night," he shrugs.

"I went to the Buy More party," she says, a smile playing at her lips. "Lester was freaking out like you said he would."

"I wish I'd have seen that," he laughs before she takes out her phone.

"I may have recorded him at some key moments," she grins.

They sit there in silence before he slowly sneaks his hand over, resting it on her stomach.

"It kicked me," he says, causing her to burst into laughter.

"_I'm_ gonna kick you if you keep that up!" she teases, lightly whacking him in the arm.

They both look up as Ellie knocks on the door, walking in.

"Bela, can I talk to you for a moment-in private?" she asks, Bela nodding and standing up as she follows her down the hall. Ellie shuts the door to her bedroom before turning to her.

"I got your tests back today," she says, Bela nodding urgently.

"Just give it to me straight," she requests.

"You're not pregnant," Ellie smiles, and she sighs in relief, running a hand through her hair.

"That is the best news I've heard in a long time," she grins before pausing. "S-so what's wrong with me, how come I've been feeling like crap? H-how come the test was positive?"

"The test isn't one hundred percent accurate, that's why I had you come in." she explains before asking. "Have you eaten anything different in the last few days?"

"I _knew _it was food poisoning!" she says triumphantly.

"You should be starting to feel better, the worst part seems to be over," Ellie explains.

"Thank you so much," Bela smiles, pulling Ellie into a hug. "It's still great news."

"You're welcome," she laughs, Bela practically skipping down the hallway back to Chuck's room.

"So?" he beams, watching her closely. "Is that a baby glow or an 'I don't have to stop drinking for nine months' glow?"

"Idiot," she snorts, sitting on his bed.

"Bells come on! Am I gonna be an Uncle Chuck soon or what?" he asks, causing her to cough. "I take that as a no?"

"That is correct," she smirks. "I have, wait for it, food poisoning-just like I told everyone."

"Do I sense some disappointment?" he teases.

"No disappointment whatsoever," she says honestly, grinning.

"Then you'd better go tell your not baby's daddy," he says, thinking over what he just said.

"I'm not even gonna comment on that," she says before walking out.

* * *

"Why don't you ever use your key?" Casey asks, letting Bela in.

"Because I knew you were home," she shrugs, kicking her shoes off.

He watches her fidget before turning and facing him.

"I'm not pregnant," she says, waiting for his reaction.

He nods, taking a moment to think before pulling her up against him, his lips crushing hers.

She grins as they pull back, resting her hand against his chest as she catches her breath.

"After what you were saying yesterday I thought you'd be disappointed," she whispers.

He kisses her again before resting his forehead against hers.

"Nope," he says simply.

"Good," she smiles before he pulls away, walking over to the box on the counter.

"Got you a present," he says and she walks over, joining him.

"Russian vodka?" she asks, staring down at it appreciatively. "Did you get this before or after you thought I was pregnant?"

"After," he says. "I figured if you weren't, you'd drink it and if you were, I'd drink it."

She laughs at this, pulling him down to her.

"Thank you," she whispers as they part.

"So what'd you have?" he asks, pushing her hair back from her face. "You look better whatever it was."

"I had non contagious food poisoning, _like I said_," she growls, poking him in the chest.

"Yet you still thought you were pregnant," he teases.

"Ha ha," she smirks, whacking him in the chest.

* * *

A/N: Aaand no, Bela wasn't pregnant after all. I just couldn't do that to the poor girl, or Casey. A little intersect-government baby? Wow. No. And I normally loathe pregnancy/baby storylines, but I figured I had to do it at least once, so the sooner the better, right? Next chapter should be up in a few days.


	19. Chuck vs Tom Sawyer

A/N: Thanks for the reviews for the last chapter guys. I was a little worried about what you'd think of it. But now we have the Jeff-centric chapter. Please review!

* * *

"Bela," Casey says, shaking her gently. "Come on, you're late."

She mumbles incoherently, sliding her head under the pillow.

"Up," he chuckles, sitting her up before kissing her awake.

She smiles up at him sleepily, pausing as she notices the clothes on the floor.

"Ahh, maintenant je me souviens de la nuit dernière," she grins up at him, pursing her lips at his confused look.

"You understood me last night," she teases, standing up. He wraps his arms around her, pulling her close.

"You showering?" he whispers, kissing her neck. She shakes her head before pulling away.

"I'm already late enough," she says, pulling on some underwear before grabbing her Buy More clothes from the wardrobe. He watches her as she pads into the bathroom after setting the clothes down on the bed. He goes to follow her before growling at the knocking coming from the front door.

"Is that the door?" she yells as Casey grabs his gun.

"Yes," he growls. "I'll get it."

"If it's girl scouts, be nice this time!" she laughs.

"Hmph," he mutters, making his way to the door.

"What?" he asks, staring at the man standing there mid-knock.

"Casey," Chuck says, looking behind him. "Has Bela left yet?"

"Morning," she says as she walks out, pausing to pull her shoes on.

"Morning," he grins, Casey slapping him on the back of the head before joining her.

"Your shirt," he growls, reaching for the buttons. She bats his hands away, kissing him as she does them up.

"Awkward," Chuck says from the doorway, glancing at the two.

"Then don't look," Casey growls before backing Bela up against the counter, his hands resting either side of her.

"Are you coming in with us?" she asks as he slips her tie over her head.

"I'll take my car today," he says, watching her tie it.

"Fine," she smiles, kissing him again before grabbing her bag. "I'll leave you to lock up."

"You always do," he smirks, watching her leave.

* * *

"Guys, you picked one hell of a morning to be late," Morgan says as he joins Bela and Chuck at the Nerd Herd desk.

"You know, if we'd have taken my car we wouldn't have been this late," Bela says, glancing at Chuck. "And we had a crazy night, Morgan."

"Really," he says slowly, glancing at the two with interest. "A night of couple swapping perhaps? No... okay, listen there's this efficiency guy that's been looking all over for you both, so if he asks Chuck you have gallstone issues and Bela, well, you have lady problems."

"Lady problems!" she hisses before noticing Emmett behind him.

"Well I had to think on my feet, this guys been busting my-" he starts before he gets the message from Chuck and Bela's glances behind him. "Preconceptions... and helping me see the Buy More in a whole new hey-hello! This is him."

They watch Morgan hurry away before turning back to Emmett.

"We finally meet, Chuck, Bela," he nods, shaking Chuck's hand as Bela glances over his shoulder, flashing on someone.

"You feeling alright?" he asks her, gaining her attention again as Chuck looks in the direction she just was.

"Uhm yes," she says slowly, nodding. "Lady problems, excuse me."

"I think my gallstones are acting up," Chuck says before following her.

"Where are you going?" he whispers, grabbing her arm.

"Casey," she whispers back, the two stopping as the man they flashed on steps in front of them.

"Hi," he smiles at them before taking out a photograph. "Know this man?"

"What?" Bela chuckles as she recognizes Jeff in the picture. "Is that a mullet?"

"He's a Buy More employee."

"You know he doesn't work at this store," Chuck says. "But uh you should check out one of our other thirteen convenient Southern Californian locations."

"Huh," he says before leaving the two.

"Oh my God," Bela breathes, glancing up at Chuck. "What the hell was that-that was Jeff, right?"

They both turn, noticing Jeff across the store. He sees them staring and raises his hand, waving at the two.

"That was Jeff," he nods.

* * *

"Farrokh Bulsara, born in the Esir Provence, nineteen seventy four. Past ten years, been hopping between training camps from Syria to Somalia," Casey says.

"What does a global terrorist want with a nerd like Jeff?" Chuck asks.

"Insightful question Bartowski, that's why we have two intersects," he says.

"We want the two of you to approach Jeff socially," Sarah suggests. "Get to know him better and see if you can get him to open up about his past."

"You want us to hang out with _Jeff_?" Bela asks slowly, exchanging glances with Chuck.

"It's either that or we throw him in the back of a van and have an agency interrogation team go to work on him," Casey says.

"Great, so it either comes down to torturing him or torturing us," she sighs.

"Looks like we got a bogie," Sarah says, making her way upstairs.

"Is that my sister?" Chuck asks, staring at the surveillance.

"Not polite to spy," Casey says, turning off the screens.

"She's not my sister," Bela protests, reaching for the controls before he snatches them out of her reach. "Fine."

"Where are you going?" Casey asks, pulling her to him as Chuck and her stand up.

"Back to work so we can make plans for our awesome night with Jeff," she deadpans and he pulls her closer.

"Let us just put him in the van," he whispers, his lips sliding down her neck.

"No," she frowns, pulling back. "It may be Jeff, but he deserves better than that."

He stares at her before sighing.

"Fine."

* * *

"What's he putting on?" Bela whispers to Chuck as Jeff puts a disc into the home theatre system in the Buy More.

"I don't know, but be prepared to look away immediately," he whispers back, the two warily looking towards the screen.

"May I present tonight's feature entertainment," Jeff says, pressing play.

"Oh my God," Chuck snorts. "You made an Anna and Bela music video?"

"You like?" he asks.

"Wow... it's really... wow," Chuck says slowly.

"Uhm, Jeff, I am sitting right here," Bela says, staring at the screen in disbelief.

"You two are my muses," he smiles. "Now if you'll excuse me, I'm going to slip into my drinking pants."

"Look at that!" Chuck nods, Bela's eyes still fixed to the screen.

"Abort mission, extraction required, the intersects have been compromised," she says into her watch once Jeff moves outside the room.

"Negative, perimeter is secure," Casey replies.

"I'm talking about the weirdo _inside _the Buy More!" she hisses.

"You're fine," he deadpans.

"Well then, just so you know we'll be drinking tonight and I won't be coming home," she snaps, leaning back in the couch next to Chuck.

"Bartowski, watch her," he growls.

"Oh, I am," Chuck says eyes on the screen. "More than I've ever wanted to before-Ow!"

"There's more where that came from," Bela warns, glaring at him until he takes his eyes off of the video.

* * *

"Pound, pound, pound!" Jeff encourages as Chuck and Bela down their beers. "Go! Yes! Pound!"

"You're such a lightweight, Chuck," Bela teases, waiting for him to finish.

"Some of us have had more experience than others," he adds, wiping the excess beer from his face.

"Funny," she smirks as Jeff finishes his.

"So, crazy thing happened today," Chuck starts. "Some dude came into the store looking for ya; he had this goofy, old picture and everything."

"Only a matter of time, I guess," he says.

"What?" Bela asks. "You mean you know the guy?"

"I'd imagine, he's one of my fans," he explains before taking out a video tape and standing up.

"Fan of what?" Bela whispers anxiously.

"You wanna see something I've never shared with anyone?" he asks, sliding the tape in as Chuck and Bela exchange nervous looks.

"Please don't be a porno, please, please don't be a porno," Chuck whispers before the tape comes on. "Missile Command? I used to kick ass at that game."

"Well, I was the best," he says, sitting down next to them.

"He's really proud of this," Bela says to Chuck, smiling as they watch the screen.

"You guys are so wasted," Jeff laughs as the two flash on Morimoto before he passes out.

"Are you kidding me?" Bela asks as they stare at him on the floor. "Help me get him up."

"How did he drink more than us?" Chuck asks as they pull him up onto the couch."

"It's Jeff, he probably knocked back a few while putting on his drinking pants," she mutters as Casey rushes in.

"Okay guys, party's over," he says.

"Hey, hey, we flashed," Chuck says hurriedly.

"Some guy on the TV, he's a video game designer-" Bela starts.

"Not now, we've got guests," he growls, grabbing her arm. "Out the back door now!"

"Wait, wait, wait, what about Jeff?" Chuck asks.

"What about him!"

"We can't just leave him here!" Bela yells.

"He's dead weight," Casey shrugs.

"I can't believe you," Bela growls at Casey as he watches her help Chuck heft Jeff over his shoulders.

"Can we go now?" he growls, his gun out as Bela steadies Chuck.

"You are such an ass," she hisses as they follow him.

"Go, go!" he orders, waiting for the two to pass him as they make their way outside.

"You okay, Chuck?" she asks, watching him pant as he carries Jeff to the car.

"He pukes on my upholstery he's gonna wish we left him with the terrorists," Casey growls, unlocking his car.

"Here," Bela says, holding the door open as Chuck lays Jeff across the backseat.

"You're up front, sweetheart," Casey says, climbing into the driver's seat.

"Why thank you, Casey," Chuck says, sliding into the middle next to him after Bela's insistence.

"You've got the duration of this car ride to stop being pissy," he says as she slams the door shut.

"We'll see," she says, teeth clenched.

"Awkward," Chuck whispers to himself, sitting uncomfortably between them.

* * *

"I'll get the door," Bela says, rushing in front of Chuck as he carries Jeff towards his apartment.

"Oh! Uh, hi guys," she says, seeing Ellie and Sarah in the living room.

"Bela," Ellie smiles, the two standing up as Chuck stumbles into the apartment. "Chuck!"

"Is he okay?" Ellie asks as Chuck accidentally bangs Jeff's head against the door frame.

"Don't worry, this guy feels no pain," he says before heaving him onto the couch. "Okay, here we go, big boy, big boy!"

"What's up, ladies," Jeff grins as he slowly wakes up. "You take the brunettes, I'm gonna take a crack at the blonde."

They all look at him in disgust as he rolls onto the floor, passing out once again.

"Heh, this guy," Chuck laughs quietly before turning to Bela. "Thanks for the help."

"You're welcome," she says, smiling at the others. "I'm gonna leave now... night."

She quickly slips outside, jumping as Casey stands up from his seat on the fountain.

"You _are_ coming home with me," he says.

"Now who's the pissy one," she frowns, meeting his eyes.

"Just come inside," he says, unlocking his apartment. He holds the door open before she sighs, following him in.

"I'll be up in a minute," he says and she nods, forgetting the alcohol she'd consumed before unsuccessfully attempting to jog up the stairs. "You okay?"

"Fine," she says, pulling herself up before walking the rest of the way up. She flicks the lights on in his room, tossing her clothes on the floor before climbing onto the bed.

"Damn it," she sighs, staring down at her knees. There was fresh blood from her recent fall.

She reaches onto the floor and drags her bag up, quickly shuffling through it before pulling out some Band-Aids.

After doctoring herself up she dozes off before jumping as the weight of the bed shifts beside her.

"Sorry," he apologizes, kissing her quickly before pulling back. "You smell like beer."

"I'll go home, then," she says before his arm encircles her waist.

"I'll tolerate it," he says and she smiles, turning around to face him.

"He made a musical montage, Casey," she says quietly.

"Yeah… you stay away from that guy," he says.

"I need to tell Anna," she says, shaking her head.

"You need to get some sleep," he says, kissing her again.

She nods, yawning before resting her head against his chest.

"What's on your legs?" he asks, frowning.

"I, uh, split my knee open when I tripped," she says. "The only Band-Aids I had were in my bag..."

He reaches behind him, flicking on the lamp before lifting the sheets.

"They were a dollar," she says, still half asleep.

"They have dinosaurs on them," he notes.

"They were a dollar," she repeats.

He chuckles, turning off the lamp before pulling her to him again.

* * *

"What happened?" Chuck asks, trying to hide his smile as Bela walks towards him.

"I fell over," she shrugs, ignoring his amusement.

"Somewhere in the vicinity of a five year old?" he jokes causing the corners of her lips to turn up.

"You were with me when I bought these," she reminds him. "And they were a dollar."

"So you keep telling everyone," Casey says as he joins them. "Bela, I need you for a minute."

"Just a minute?" Chuck laughs, Bela punching him lightly on the way past.

"What is it?" she asks as he leads her into the home theatre room.

"The guy you flashed on? We just got some fresh Intel on him," he explains, picking up a file.

"There were a few things Morimoto left out of his bio," Sarah says as Chuck and her join them.

"Yeah, guy secretly worked for Japanese military," Casey informs them. "Nineteen eighty they launched Morimoto's first generation weapons satellite."

"The guy who created Missile Command commands actual missiles?" Chuck asks as he and Bela go over the file.

"Via satellite," Casey nods.

"It's still up there, dormant but presumed operational," Sarah adds.

"Anyone knows how to fire that puppy up it's Morimoto."

"And you think he's working with Farrokh and the terrorists?" Bela asks.

"Well he hasn't been seen in years," Casey says, turning a page in the file to show a photo of Farrokh. "We captured this image outside Morimoto's office about an hour ago."

"What about Jeff?" Chuck asks. "How is he supposed to be involved in all of this?"

"The only way to find out is to get into Atari headquarters," Sarah informs them.

"Security's gonna be tight."

"But if we don't secure the satellite, then Jeff's safety is gonna be the least of our concerns," Sarah says before turning to Casey. "So how do you wanna do this?"

"Guys, I have an idea," Chuck says, interrupting them as he exchanges looks with Bela.

"Oh boy," she sighs.

* * *

"You look adorable," Bela smirks, straightening Casey's tie before running her hands down his white shirt.

"Very funny," he growls, glaring at Chuck. "Stupid idea."

"Good luck," Bela smiles, leaning up and kissing him quick before he leaves with Chuck.

"You think they'll get in?" she asks, turning to Sarah.

"Not a chance," Sarah says as they wait by the car. "That's why I have this."

She pulls off her coat, revealing an altered version of the Nerd Herd uniform.

"Oh," Bela snorts, starting at her.

"Don't you laugh, you're coming with me," Sarah says.

"What? But I don't-my uniform-"

"Pull your skirt up higher and put this on," Sarah says, tossing her a smaller and tighter white shirt.

Bela nods, quickly stripping and redressing.

"And let your hair down," she adds, watching the others heading toward them.

"What the hell did you do?" Casey asks, staring at them as they take the briefcases from them.

"Don't say _I_ look adorable," Bela teases, walking past him.

"That's not what I was thinking," he says, watching her.

"Bela and I will go in and distract them which will allow the two of you to sneak in," Sarah explains.

"Right," Chuck nods, staring at her.

"I can't believe you're letting me do this," Bela frowns, slapping Casey's hand as it slides under her skirt.

"Sarah will be with you and it's a cover," he shrugs.

"It's my job," she frowns, staring up at him. "This is what Chuck and I do for a living, granted I'm usually dressed a lot more professional."

"A lot?" he snorts and she rolls her eyes. "Good luck."

She smirks before walking into the building with Sarah.

"Hi," she smiles as they reach the front desk, all eyes on them. "I hear you're having a computer problem?"

"Uh y-y-yeah we-you can come round here and take a look," one of them offers, gesturing for them to come behind the desk. They nod, moving as Chuck and Casey sneak in and up the stairs.

"What are you waiting for?" Sarah whispers into her watch as they stare down at them, Bela already in a conversation with the two trying to fix the computer.

She feigns interest as they turn to her every now and then before sighing, checking her watch.

"We're boring you," Bela whispers, moving back to stand with Sarah. "Sorry."

"No, it's okay, it's distracting, good," she nods, Bela smirking at her bad lying.

"What's taking them so long?"

"They're fine, I would have heard from Casey if they were in trouble," she says, the two jumping at the sound of an explosion.

"Sure about that!" Bela hisses as people start rushing around them, sirens beginning to go off.

"Hey, we gotta go," Casey says as Chuck and him join them.

"What just happened?" Bela asks as Casey ushers them outside.

"We gotta leave, _now_," he growls.

"Chuck?" Bela asks.

"Morimoto's dead."

* * *

"General, we're sorry to report that Farrokh and his team have the code," Casey says.

"That and they murdered Morimoto," Chuck says dejectedly as Sarah and Bela stand beside him.

"That means that your duties are no longer required on this operation," Beckman says. "Casey, we're turning this matter over to the thirtieth space wing at Vandenberg."

"Wait, you're launching an ICBM?" Sarah asks. "You think you can shoot down that satellite before it shoots us?"

"Morimoto's satellite will be passing over California in four hours; best case we shoot it down off the coast before its own missiles are armed, the satellite falls to earth with acceptable civilian casualties."

"Wait a second, acceptable what?" Bela asks. "I'd like to hear the bad version."

"We miss," the General says.

"What happens then?" Chuck asks.

"Farrokh uses Morimoto's satellite to start World War three," Sarah says.

"Hey! What about the-what about the kill screen!" Bela asks quickly, turning to Chuck.

"Excuse me?" Beckman asks.

"Missile Command!" she continues. "Morimoto said the code is hidden in every arcade game, if we can get to the kill screen we can get the code and we can take control of the satellite."

"We'll have our engineers take a look-" Beckman says before Chuck interrupts.

"No, look the only way to get the code is by beating the game and the only person who can beat the game is-"

"Burned to a crisp," Casey finishes.

"He was talking about Jeff," Bela says.

"So was I."

"Casey, you coordinate with the air force while Mister Bartowski and Miss Tiernan pursue their contingency plan," the General says. "But I promise you, one way or another I am bringing that satellite down."

* * *

"Thought you'd be waiting to hear from the air force," Bela says as Casey leans against the Nerd Herd desk.

"Not just yet, thought I'd see if you've come up with a plan yet?" he asks before glancing at her shirt. "You changed."

"Of course I changed," she laughs. "And Chuck is trying to convince Jeff as we speak."

"You think he'll do it?" he asks skeptically.

"He's the only one that can," she shrugs, looking behind him as Chuck and Jeff walk towards them.

"He's gonna do it," Chuck says as they join them.

"If I get my provisions," Jeff adds.

"Yeah," Chuck says, reaching over and grabbing a notepad and pen. "Go."

"I need two bottles of grape cough syrup, one pound M&Ms _no_ brown, and my lucky arcade game from the Gas 'n' Sip in Tarzana," Jeff lists.

"Done," Chuck says after checking with Casey.

"Really? I want Bela and Anna wearing hula skirts fanning me with a palm frond," he adds, Casey scrunching his face up. "I sweat profusely when I play."

"Fine," Bela groans.

"And finally, I need a crowd," he says. "I want you to get some of my old fans back."

"Come on," Casey scoffs. "People who were into that game are in their forties now, they have jobs, and wives, and kids."

Chuck and Bela shake their heads at Casey, disagreeing.

* * *

"Bela, come on Anna's already out here hurry up," Casey says, banging on the door to the women's toilets.

"No!" she yells, locking herself in one of the stalls. "Let him just have Anna do it."

"You agreed to this," he says, sighing. "Come on, I need to leave soon."

"No!" she yells again, growling as she hears him enter the restroom. "This room is just for women, Casey."

"And you know I can kick that door down faster than you can unlock it," he threatens, hearing it unlock before she slowly steps out. "Oh wow."

"Shut up!" she frowns as he covers his laughs.

"Now you look adorable," he smirks, pulling her to him.

"I hate you," she deadpans before his lips cover hers.

"I have to go," he says, kissing her again before pulling back. "Don't even think about changing before I see you again."

"Funny," she says, rolling her eyes before joining the others outside.

"There you are!" Chuck says, glancing down briefly before he meets her eyes again.

"Are we all set?" she asks as they walk towards the stage.

"Just waiting for the news story to finish," he says as they both look towards the TV.

"Cute kitten," she says after they flash, Chuck rolling his eyes at her as he takes out his phone.

"Sarah, Sarah we know where Farrokh is," he says. "The terrorists are using a television station to control the satellite they're here in LA."

"Let's get started," Bela says, taking her position next to Anna as Chuck walks up onto the stage.

"I don't feel so hot," Jeff groans, staring at the Missile Command game.

"What? No, no, no you're gonna be great!" Chuck encourages. "You look great, you're gonna kill it!"

"What was I thinking? No one can get the kill screen, I can't handle the math!" he continues. "It's too heavy! It feels like my brain is about to-to-"

"Chuck!" Bela yells as Jeff faints.

"Ohh that's not good," he says, exchanging glances with her.

"Guys, help get him into the home theatre room," Bela suggests, Anna and her following them.

"Jefferson, hey," Lester whispers, trying to wake him up.

"I'll get some water," Anna says.

"Hey, we need to take care of this," Morgan says, nodding at the people crowding around outside. Lester follows him out as Bela takes a seat next to Chuck.

"Hey, come on buddy wake up!" Chuck says, shaking Jeff roughly. "You gotta play! You gotta get the kill screen, you gotta get the codes! If we don't stop that satellite they're gonna launch some crazy missile into space and then-then-then-and then it's World War three..."

"Chuck?" Bela asks slowly as he takes out his phone, nodding as he starts talking to Ellie.

"They're going nuts out there," Morgan says, rushing in. "These nerds are gonna tear this joint apart, you gotta do something."

They watch as Anna tips a cup of water on Jeff's face, receiving no reaction from him.

"What am I supposed to do?" he asks.

"Well, they came to see video game greatness," Bela says. "Someone better deliver."

"I'll do it," Chuck says, standing up.

"What!" Morgan asks, Bela staring at him in disbelief.

"Do you think you can?" she asks, resting a hand on his arm.

"I gotta try," he says and she nods.

"Go get the crowd ready or something, Morgan," she says before turning back to Chuck. "You ready?"

"No?" he says before she pushes him out.

"Ladies and gentlemen! Or, gentlemen, let me introduce you to the challenger hailing from the city of angels, the master of disaster, the king of sting, the dancing destroyer, Charles Irving Bartowski!" Morgan yells as Chuck walks onto the stage, Bela close behind.

"Come on Chuck, you can do this-you'd better be able to do this 'cause-," she starts before he turns to her, annoyed. "I'll wait over there."

He nods, taking a deep breath before starting the game.

"Chuck," Bela says after he loses moments into the game. "Chuck, Chuck, Chuck."

"What?" he asks, his eyes following where she was looking. "Rush... Missile Command… The mathematical pattern underlying the game is exactly the same as…"

"Morgan!" Bela yells, turning to him. "Hey buddy, do we carry any Rush CDs in the store?"

"No need I got 'em all on my Zune," he grins.

"You have a Zune?" she asks skeptically.

"Are you kidding me, no, I'll go grab my iPod."

"Good!" Chuck says, joining the two. "I have a very special request."

They watch Morgan run off before he turns to her.

"What?" she asks.

"I'm just waiting for you to say something else, more words of encouragement that will most definitely make me even more nervous," he explains.

"Keeping my mouth shut," she says.

"That's a first," he teases, earning a smack across the back of the head as Morgan runs back up to them, plugging his iPod into the speakers.

"Alright, here we go," Chuck says, Bela giving him thumbs up. "On my mark! Three, two, one-mark!"

Morgan starts the song, Chuck beginning the game at the same time to the beat of the music.

"Not complaining _at all_ because as we all know at this point I am a mega fan of Rush, but why this song?" Morgan asks Bela.

She glances at him, still keeping her mouth shut as she shrugs. He nods, the two turning back to Chuck.

She watches him get closer and closer, her fists clenched as she bites down on her lip to stop from making a sound.

"Gentlemen, we have a kill screen!" one of the guys watching announces.

"Oh my God, he did it!" Morgan says and she quickly takes out her phone as she joins him.

"What are you-?" he starts as she shoves the ringing device into his hands, Sarah quickly answering. "Sarah I did it! I did it, I beat the game I got to the kill screen, I got the code! The game it follows a pattern, it's just like Mr. Morimoto said. The music of the universe."

Bela rolls her eyes as he rattles on.

"Uh, Oscar, Zelta, Penguin, Gamma, Sector, Bobble…" he says, Bela watching him anxiously as he hangs up a few moments later. "We did it!"

"No," she says, shaking her head as she finally talks. _"You_ did it, Chuck!"

"You're bleeding!" he notes, his eyes on her lips.

"I had to bite my lip to keep from saying anything!" she explains, causing him to laugh. "It's a small price to pay for you to keep your concentration and stop that satellite."

"I can't believe you sometimes," he chuckles, pulling her into a hug.

"Actually ow, it's really hurting," she says once they pull back.

"How hard were you biting?" he says, cautiously eying the blood.

"Hard enough to keep me from talking," she smirks, both looking up as Emmett begins clearing the store. "I think we're in trouble."

* * *

"There you are," Casey says, shutting the door to the break room as he sees Bela at the first aid box. "What are you doing?"

"Inventory," she says, quickly tossing the blood stained bandages into the bin before turning to him.

"What did you do?" he asks, staring at her discolored lips.

"Damn it, I was sure I cleaned it all off," she mutters, pressing her fingers against her lips again. They came back red.

"You were gonna hide this from me?" he asks, taking a cloth from his pocket before carefully dabbing at the blood.

"I was gonna try," she says, trying not to move her lips.

"What did you do?" he repeats once he pulls back.

"I kept talking while Chuck was trying to play Missile Command and it was breaking his concentration so I said I'd keep my mouth shut, and I did," she says, a smile playing at his lips.

"You bit into your lips to keep from talking?" he asks slowly and she nods. "Never heard of duct tape?"

"Yes, because I always have a roll handy at all times," she says, rolling her eyes.

He shrugs, dabbing at her lip once more before seeming satisfied that the bleeding had ceased.

"Ready to go?" he asks and she nods, grabbing her bag from her locker. "You know you're keeping that skirt on tonight, don't you."

She laughs as she pulls her jacket on, raising an eyebrow.

"Am I now?" she smirks as he rests his hand against her back.

"Damn straight."

* * *

"Are you hungry?" Casey asks, checking all of his surveillance equipment as Bela kicks her shoes off.

"Eh," she shrugs, taking her phone out of her bag as it beeps.

"You're _not_ hungry?" he asks, surprised. "First for everything."

"Always with the jokes," she smirks, opening the message. "It's from Chuck… he wants me to thank you?"

He grunts, pulling his own shoes off as she sets her phone down.

"Thank you for what?" she asks.

"Walker and I got him his Stanford diploma, he graduated."

"You got Chuck his diploma!" she beams before stopping herself. "Wait, did you get him a real one or just a fake one to get Ellie and Devon off of his back? He still had his last twelve credits to get."

"We, mainly Walker, decided that his exceptional field service, her words not mine, I'd call it ordinary-"

"Casey!" she growls, wanting him to get to the point.

"We decided that it had to account for something," he shrugs. "Stanford agreed."

"Huh," she says, a smile playing at his lips as she starts unbuttoning her shirt.

"What are you doing?"

"Thanking you, for Chuck," she smirks. "Unless you'd rather he do it?"

"To hell with that," he chuckles, pulling her to him. She winces momentarily before kissing him back. "Still hurt?"

"I'll live," she grins, meeting his lips again.

* * *

A/N: Next we have the Jill-centric chapters. The next one should be out fairly soon.

**The French Bela spoke was, "Ahh, now I remember last night." Nothing too fancy.


	20. Chuck vs The Ex

A/N: If it's not Bryce causing trouble for Team Chuck, it's someone else from their past. This time it's Chuck's ex girlfriend and Bela's ex best friend Jill Roberts. Please review!

* * *

"So, Bioscience conference, bet these things get pretty wild huh?" Bela asks, glancing at the man next to her as Chuck finishes with the computer system.

"We should call you for everything," he grins, leaning towards her. She frowns, staring at him blankly.

"She has a boyfriend," Chuck explains as he finishes setting up the equipment.

"And I have a girlfriend, but she doesn't need to know everything," he says and she shakes her head, turning away.

"Chuck?" she asks as he quickly dives under the table.

"It's Jill," he says, and she turns to look around, instantly spotting her ex-best friend.

"Move over, I'm coming under, too," she says, kneeling next to him.

"There's no room!" he says, pushing her out.

She growls, her eyes widening as she turns their way. Thinking quickly she straightens up, her back turned to the table.

"Change your mind?" the man asks before Bela pulls him against her, kissing him firmly.

"Excuse me," Jill says, clearing her throat.

"Under the desk," the man says, quickly pulling Bela back to him. Jill ignores the two, kneeling next to the table.

"Chuck?" she asks, grinning.

"Ha," he says, quickly crawling out before standing up. "It was the-"

He stops as he sees Bela's back to them, her arms wrapped around the man.

"And that is inappropriate," he coughs, turning away from the two.

"Chuck Bartowski," Jill beams and he quickly removes his Buy More nametag.

"Present, yes, that's me," he nods, pretending to not know who she is.

"It's me, Jill," she smiles.

"Jill! Oh my gosh, of course!" he says, hugging her across the desk. "Hi, hey you, how are you, so good to see you."

"You too, how long has it been?" she asks.

"Five years, four months...ish," Chuck says automatically. "Give or take, kind of... in that neighbourhood. Uh, what have you been up to?"

"Uh, well after Stanford I got my PhD in Biomedical Engineering," she explains.

"Did you?"

"Yeah, I'm giving a presentation at the conference on infectious diseases," she continues.

"Lovely," Chuck nods.

"And you?" she asks.

"And me," he says, glancing at Bela behind him. She was still locked in an embrace with the guy. "And me! I'm still in the computer game, you know, yeah. I-I work slash own my own little companies... sixteen, seventeen, I can't remember which stores... But every once in a while I like to do the installs myself, you know don the uni, kinda get my hands mussy."

"I'm really happy for you, Chuck," Jill smiles. "The last time I saw you, you were working at a Buy More."

"Ahh that was a wonderful growing experience, really, really character building, wouldn't change it for the world," he says slowly.

"There's definitely some things I would change," she sighs. "Especially about us."

"There you are, we're running late," a man says, interrupting them.

"Guy, this is my old friend Chuck Bartowski," she says, introducing the two. "Chuck, this is my boss, Guy LaFleur."

"Hi, nice to meet you," Chuck says, stretching his hand out towards him.

"Er, I work with germs, so uh," he says, holding his hands away as Chuck flashes on him. "I'm sure your friend is busy, has computers to fix. Shall we?"

"Chuck, I'm staying at the hotel Waldron," Jill calls over her shoulder. "So give me a call if you want to grab a cup of coffee."

"Yeah, well you know, busy but I'll check with my people," he nods as they leave, before turning to Bela. "Are you done?"

"Oh thank God," she pants, hurriedly pushing the guy away. He stares at her with a goofy expression on his face. "It's not like there was any where else to hide, under the table was occupied."

"You could have simply left?" he suggests.

"And leave you alone with your ex-girlfriend? I think not," she says, poking him in the arm. "So, I think we're done here?"

"Yeah, we're done," Chuck nods, turning to the guy. "So we're going now."

"Wait, can I have your number?" he asks, stopping Bela.

"No," she says, shaking her head slowly.

Chuck laughs as she pushes him along hurriedly.

* * *

"Your ex-girlfriend's boss, Guy LaFleur, is the head research scientist for the European company Colmagregger Pharmaceutical," Beckman explains. "MI6 has reports that he may have developed a bioweapon which he plans to sell to the highest bidder."

"Is Jill involved?" Chuck asks, sitting next to Bela on the table.

"It's your job to find out, Chuck," she says. "Casey and Sarah will surveil Doctor LaFleur. We need you to reconnect with Jill. Find out what she knows about Guy."

"Right, right, right, right," he snorts. "When you say _reconnect_ you mean send her an email, or invite her to be my new Facebook friend, right?"

"Call her at her hotel and make a date," she orders. "See if you flash on anything she says or anyone you meet."

"I'm sorry, a date with my ex?" he asks in disbelief. "No General, that is a terrible idea, you see she broke my heart, she destroyed me, she took all of my confidence, my mojo-"

"You had mojo?" Casey asks sceptically.

"I was on my way! Oh and by the way she slept with Bryce Larkin."

"Hmph, who hasn't?" Casey says, glancing at Bela.

"Look, Chuck I know that Jill hurt you but maybe seeing her again will give you the closure that you've always wanted," Sarah suggests. "You have done a lot for the CIA and we're gonna make you look good."

"Look on the bright side, now you can get your mojo back," Casey teases, slapping him on the side of the face.

"And what do I do while all this is happening?" Bela asks, confused.

"Bela you will go along with Sarah and Casey while they surveil Doctor LaFleur and you will also be at the restaurant as Chuck and Jill have their date," Beckman explains.

"But Jill knows who I am," she says. "We used to be best friends, she'll recognize me immediately."

"Keep your distance, if Chuck flashes you'll be there to confirm alright?"

"Yes, General," she nods before she ends the connection.

She sighs, standing before making her way over to Casey.

"What?" Casey asks, staring at her curiously when she doesn't say anything.

"I had to kiss someone," she says, sighing as he grabs her arm, pulling her aside.

"You _had_ to?" he growls.

"I didn't want to face her," she frowns. "It was a distraction, that's all."

"You couldn't think of anything else?" he asks and she stares at him shaking her head.

"This is me we're talking about," she shrugs. He leans down and kisses her.

"Learn to think on your feet," he growls, staring at her. "Professionally."

"I'll try," she sighs, shrugging.

* * *

"Have I mentioned how much I hate Emmett, yet?" Bela asks, sat in between Chuck and Morgan as they wait for him to start the meeting.

"Only about a dozen times," Chuck says.

"Today," Morgan says, smirking at her before Emmett rings the bell in front of him.

"As you already know, we nearly lost our dear leader today," he says. "And to what? One tiny little carb filled doughnut."

"Please, we lost Big Mike to doughnuts years ago," Morgan says, everyone laughing at this before Emmett rings the bell again.

"I shudder to think how people like you would respond to an actual catastrophe," Emmett continues. "A fire, an earthquake-"

"An all out race war," Lester jokes, coughing embarrassed as he gets no response.

"And that is why Michael and I have decided to implement an emergency preparedness course," Emmett says. "And it just so happens that one of your colleagues knew somebody willing to teach it."

"Buenos Dias, class," Devon beams, walking in with a CPR dummy and a duffel bag.

Chuck and Bela stand up, immediately joining him.

"Hey, you sure you wanna do this?" Chuck asks him.

"I love volunteer work, Chuck," he nods. "Besides, CPR's a breeze. A child could learn to do it."

"Well, then maybe you have a shot," Bela smirks.

"Hey everybody, you're in great hands," Chuck says. "Awesome is who certified Bela and me."

"You two might be certified, but you still have to take the test like everyone else."

"Yay," Bela deadpans before Casey rests his hand on her back, causing her to jump.

"Let's go Romeo, time for your big date," he growls to Chuck, the two following him out.

"CIA's wasting a lot of tax dollars trying to make you look good."

* * *

"I'm gonna kill the kid," Casey growls, joining Sarah as she nods for Bela to sit down at the bar. "Your turn, Walker."

Bela stares at him wide eyed, biting her lip to hold back her laughter.

"What?" he growls.

"Nothing," she coughs, turning around. He stares at her shoulders, the shaking giving her away.

"Stop laughing."

"I'm sorry," she snorts, staring down at the bench. "But you look ridiculous."

He just glares at her.

"I don't think I can even sleep with you again until I forget about how you look right now," she snickers.

"Keep going, sweetheart," he nods.

"I'm gonna go get him, remind him of what he's meant to be doing," Sarah interrupts before walking back to the table.

"He's bringing up the past," Bela sighs, listening to Chuck and Jill's conversation.

"Maybe we should've sent you in instead, you were her best friend," he notes.

"Ha, no thank you," she says, shaking her head as Sarah and Chuck join them.

Casey growls as he hands Chuck the phone.

"How many times do I have to tell you, she _never _slept with Bryce," Bela hisses. "Bryce was sleeping with me the entire time."

"Charming," Casey growls, turning away.

"I just-I needed to hear it from her," Chuck sighs.

"Look, Chuck I know it's hard but you have to be a spy first," Sarah says.

"Yeah, it is hard I'm not like you Sarah I can't turn my emotions on and off like some robot," he snarks.

"Hey," Bela warns, whacking him in the arm.

"I'm sorry, that was uncalled for," he apologizes. "I'm not acting like myself tonight."

"Are you done feeling sorry for yourself?" Sarah asks as he hangs up the phone.

"Personally I'd like another ten to fifteen minutes of really pathetic self indulgence, but duty calls I'm going back in," he sighs before making his way back to his table with Jill.

"He really didn't mean what he said," Bela says, glancing at Sarah.

"Mhmm," she says, not convinced.

"It's just, he's different around Jill," she explains. "Well, he's different around Jill now that they're not dating. Ha, I still remember this one time-uh, never mind."

She stops talking when she notices Sarah's annoyed expression.

"Too much Jill talk?" she asks quietly.

"I'm fine," Sarah says, holding her head up.

"Great," Bela nods, both listening to the surveillance again.

* * *

"Time to get up," Casey says, his arm sliding around Bela.

She smirks as he pulls her closer.

"Have you taken that ridiculous wig off yet?" she mumbles sleepily.

"Bela, it's morning," he says, his lips against her throat.

"I know, I can _feel_ that," she snorts, sliding her leg over his waist. "Very much so."

"Funny," he says, pressing his lips against hers. She sleepily kisses him back before sighing.

"I don't have to go into work yet, they have the CPR course this morning," she reminds him. "Chuck and me are working later."

"Yeah, but I have to go do surveillance with Walker _now_," he mumbles.

"And?"

"And," he says, meeting her lips again. "I want sex."

"Oh do you now," she snorts.

"If you do it I'll make you coffee."

She laughs, rolling onto her back before he quickly rolls on top of her.

"It'd better be damned good coffee," she teases.

* * *

"Guy just ordered room service," Sarah informs Casey.

"Hmm," Casey says, the two jumping and aiming their weapons at the van door as it slides open.

"Easy, easy, hey, we come in peace," Chuck says, Bela waving from behind him.

"What the hell are you doing here?" Casey asks as they climb in.

"Thought we'd swing by and you know, check up on Jill and make sure she's doing alright," Chuck says.

"Plus, y'know, the General did say that I was to join you guys," Bela reminds them.

"Jill's fine, she came home last night and hasn't left her room since," Sarah says.

"Shh!" Casey growls, holding the headphones to his ears. "She's making a call. Damn, bug's on the frits."

"We need a new one, I'll go in as housekeeping and plant another," Sarah says.

"Nah, she might recognize you as a waitress from the restaurant," Casey reminds her. "I'll just tranq her, she'll wake up in an hour thinking nothing of it."

"What-no!" Bela says, quickly interrupting Chuck's protests. "Look, I'll go."

"Is she even talking to you?" Chuck asks.

"We left things at Stanford okay," she nods. "We've emailed now and then, so... yeah."

Sarah looks at Casey and he nods.

"You know where it goes, right?" Sarah asks. "One button on the bottom, click on, click off."

"Alright," Bela nods, taking the bug before climbing out of the van.

* * *

"Alright, okay, I'm really doing this," Bela whispers, knocking on Jill's door.

"Who is it?" Jill yells.

"It's, uh, Bela-Bela Tiernan," she answers, scratching the back of her neck. "From Stanford?"

She smiles as the door opens quickly, Jill pulling her into an embrace.

"Oh my God, Bela!" she grins before pulling back. "Come in!"

Bela smiles back, awkwardly stepping into the hotel room.

"How are you?" she asks, looking around.

"Great-" Jill starts before pausing as she sees Bela's attire. "Are you working at the Buy More, too! Oh my God, did Chuck send you!"

"What, no that's, no," Bela laughs nervously before clearing her throat. "Okay, look, I'm still friends with Chuck and yes, I do work at the Buy More but Chuck did not send me here. He mentioned that he saw you the other night and I just wanted to come say hi."

Jill nods before smiling.

"It's really good to see you, Bells," she grins, Bela tensing lightly at Jill's use of her nickname. "I haven't seen you in so long."

"It's been a while, yeah," she nods as Jill straightens up some of her notes.

"So how are you?" Jill asks, Bela tossing the bug under the table before she turns around.

"I'm fine," she says as the two sit down.

"Have you heard from Bryce?" she asks curious.

"We see each other now and then," Bela admits, blushing lightly.

"I knew you two wouldn't stay away from each other forever," Jill grins. "You two were so in love at Stanford, and even after you two broke up I knew you'd find each other again."

"It's complicated," Bela nods, laughing lightly. "But yeah, being around him? It reminds me of how it used to be, Bryce and me, you and Chuck."

"Chuck," Jill says, smiling. "I had a really, really nice time with him last night... after it being a little weird at first."

"Chuck's a great guy," Bela says honestly. "You should give him a chance... again."

"We'll see," Jill says, smiling. "So are you seeing anyone? Apart from Bryce occasionally."

"Oh, uh, yes," Bela nods, blushing again. "It's just sex."

"Bela!" Jill laughs. "Never pictured you-actually, wait, before Bryce you had quite a few _friends_."

"Funny," she smirks. "We're happy with how we are right now, and the sex is great so I can't complain."

"Well, good for you," Jill nods.

"And you?" Bela asks, more for Chuck's sake than hers. "Are you seeing anyone?"

"No," she says, shaking her head. "I mean I've dated, since Stanford but right now I'm, well, I guess I'm single."

"Chuck's single," she says, mentally berating herself for that comment. "I'm sorry, that was weird."

"No, it's fine," Jill laughs. "Look, I'm sure you'll be seeing Chuck again today, tell him to give me a call and we'll go out again. Maybe you and your... _friend _can come, too."

"Sure," Bela nods, standing up. "I'll definitely pass on the message."

"It was really great seeing you," Jill smiles, the two embracing again. "Call me and we'll go out while I'm in town."

"I'd like that," Bela says honestly. "I'll see you later, Jill."

* * *

"Hey," Bela says, climbing back into the van as they turn to her.

"What happened?" Casey asks, watching her take a seat next to Chuck.

"Huh? Oh, yeah, no it was great, fine," she nods. "We caught up."

"The bug, Bela?" he sighs.

"Oh that, of course, that!" she says quickly. "I planted it... but, I may have forgotten to switch it on..."

"Why would you do that?" Sarah asks.

"Relax, these things are pretty much _idiot_ proof," Casey says, typing into the computer. "If it's in the room, it picks up the signal."

"Thanks, Casey," Bela says, glancing at Chuck.

"It worked," he says. "We're tapped into her cell and her room phone."

"Why are you looking at Chuck like that?" Sarah asks Bela, Casey turning to them.

"I'm-I'm not looking at him like anything," she says hurriedly. "You're being ridiculous."

"And you're a bad liar," Casey snorts as Bela and Chuck stare at the surveillance screen. "What?"

"Oh, uh, that dude is some kind of an assassin," Chuck explains. "His code name is Wolf Den."

"Eleven, that's Guy's floor," Casey notes before Sarah and him stand. "You two-"

"Yeah, we know, stay in the van," Bela nods as they jumps out, Chuck sliding shut the door behind them. "Thank God, I _really_ need to talk to you."

"I figured after you kept looking at me," he snorts. "What? Did something happen, did Jill say something?"

"She wants you to call her," she says in a sing song voice.

"Even after last night?" he asks sceptically.

"We had a _long_ talk about things," she nods. "She actually wants to go out again... with you, me, and my, uh, _friend_."

"Friend?" he snorts. "You mean, Casey? Yeah, not gonna happen."

"I know that," she laughs, the two turning as the surveillance beeps.

"Jill's making a phone call," he says, picking up the headphones.

"Chuck," Bela warns. "Don't tempt fate, just put the spy equipment down and quit listening in on Jill's phone call."

"She's talking about you," he lies.

"What! Gimme that," she says, snatching the headphones from him.

He presses his head against hers as he stretches them over both their heads.

'Cherie?' Chuck mouths at her as she screws her face up.

She rolls her eyes as Cherie tells Jill how much of a loser Chuck is, and how little he makes at the Buy More.

"Hello, it's twelve fifty," Chuck jokes.

"Chuck?" Jill asks, Bela quickly untangling herself from the headphones. "Chuck are you on my phone?"

"Uh, Jill, is that you?" he asks, feigning confusion.

"Why are you on my phone?" she asks.

"Hang up, hang up!" Bela whispers, flailing her hands at him.

"I don't know, I don't know it's so wei-I tried calling you, so I think, I think our wires got crossed or something, is this a party line?" he asks.

"Did Bela do something to my phone when she was here, did she bug it or something?"

"Bug it? What, is she an entomologist?" he jokes, Bela groaning as he continues the conversation. "You're talking crazy jargon."

"I'm calling security," she says, hanging up.

"Idiot!" Bela says, rolling her eyes.

"What? I didn't know it would do that!" he protests, the two jumping as they hear a loud crash, the van shaking.

"Guy's not in his room," Casey says into his watch.

"We know," Bela says, Chuck and her staring horrified as he slides down the front window of the van.

* * *

"Hey, how's it going in there?" Bela asks as Sarah joins her in the main part of the castle.

"Fine," she nods. "I'm going to be giving Jill's presentation."

"What, you can't!" Bela protests. "What if something happens?"

"Chuck would rather me go than Jill," she says blankly.

"He said that?"

"He didn't have to," she sighs. "Look, I'll be fine. I'm a spy, Jill isn't. It's better if I do this."

"Well, just be careful okay?" Bela asks, smiling. "No matter what Chuck says, he really does care about you. We all do. Even Casey."

Sarah laughs at this as Chuck joins them.

"What's so funny?" he asks.

"The fact that we have to go take a test right now," Bela says, rolling her eyes as she stands up. "Ready?"

"Yeah," he says, hesitating as he stands next to Sarah.

She stares at him, waiting for him to say something.

He sighs, shaking his head before jogging after Bela.

"Hi, hey, sorry we're late," Chuck says, Bela following him in.

"Oh you're right on time, guys," Devon says, handing them each a test.

They both take a seat, Morgan, Jeff, and Lester scrambling to get a seat next to them.

"Huh, that was interesting," Emmett notes once they're all seated. "You have one hour to take the test; you may begin now."

Bela shakes her head as the others cheat off of their tests, all turning the pages at the same time.

She ignores them, focusing on the questions which were pretty basic anyway.

"Sorry, sorry," Chuck apologizes, taking out his ringing phone. Bela glances up at him before continuing the test. "Oh um I'm sorry I have to take this, this could be an important call."

"I'm sorry and this isn't important?" Emmett asks. "There is no leaving the room during the test!"

"Casey, hey, everything okay?" Chuck asks.

"Our Wolf Den friend released the poison," he explains. "Sarah got out; I'm still in here with the scientists. Hazmat crews are on the way, we have an hour maybe less. You gotta get to Jill; see if she has an antidote."

"I really don't think she wants to see me right now," Chuck says.

"Chuck, we're dyin' here," Casey pants. "I don't care what you have to say or do just get it done."

"Wait, what about Bela?" Chuck asks, glancing over his shoulder at her. She was staring at him.

"Tell her, bring her with you, I don't care just as long as you keep her safe," he growls before hanging up.

"Bela," Chuck says, putting his phone away as she rises.

"What is going on?" Emmett yells.

"It's Casey," Chuck says to Devon who nods.

"Tell me everything," Bela growls as she quickly follows Chuck out of the store.

"I'll explain on the way," he nods. "And we're taking your car-faster."

* * *

"You're agreeing to this?" Chuck asks as Bela hurriedly stumbles out of her car, pressing the central locking button on her keychain as she runs towards Jill's hotel.

"Of course I am!" she yells at him and he grabs her arm, stopping her. "What!"

"Calm down," he says, resting his hand against her back as she takes a deep breath. "Okay?"

She nods, looking up as they reach Jill's hotel room.

"Jill, it's Chuck and Bela, you have to open the door!" Chuck says, frantically knocking on her door.

"Go away, this isn't funny anymore guys," she groans.

"Look, it's an emergency okay, I know that my credibility with you is at an all-time low, but you need to listen to me-" Chuck starts before Bela interrupts.

"The bio-weapon has been released at the conference centre!" she yells.

"How do you know about the virus?" Jill asks, opening the door.

"Because, Jill," Chuck says, taking a deep breath. "We're CIA agents."

"Oh my God, Chuck you really need to get some help," she says, trying to shut the door but Bela blocks it.

"We _are_ the help, don't believe anything else we've told you but believe this," she says. "We have to get them the antidote _right now_."

"I'm gonna call the police," she threatens.

"We've already taken the liberty," he says. "Have a look for yourself."

"Oh my God," she says, looking at the SWAT team standing in the hallway. "You were telling the truth. Hold on."

"She's pretty cute, right?" Chuck smirks at the SWAT team, Bela elbowing him in the side. "What?"

"Okay," Jill nods.

"Okay, look just stay close, don't be scared," Chuck explains to her before turning to the men. "Alright, people, wheels up! Let's move!"

* * *

"Hey! Who's in charge here?" Chuck asks once they get to the conference centre.

"I am," someone says before Chuck snatches the walkie talkie from him.

"Not anymore," he says. "Thank you."

"Casey it's Chuck and Bela, we're with Jill what's your status?" he asks, Bela hanging off of his arm as she tries to listen.

"By my time, we've got about fifteen minutes," he answers, Bela cringing at the sound of his voice.

"I have to go in there," Jill says, taking out her equipment. "Okay, I need a Level A hazmat suit right now!"

"We don't have a suit yet, CDC will be here in ten minutes," someone says.

"We don't have ten minutes, I'll go in without one," she sighs.

"I'll do it!" Bela says before Casey orders her not to.

"You let her anywhere near here Bartowski and I'll kill you both," he growls.

"No it's too dangerous, I'll do it," Chuck says.

"Chuck, whoever goes in there has to be able to make the antidote, that's me," Jill explains.

"Well is it something you can talk me through?" Chuck asks.

"I guess."

"Okay, well then I'm going in," he says, handing Bela the walkie talkie.

"Chuck, wait!" Jill says, grabbing his arm. "Are you sure?"

"Yeah," he nods. "I'm sure."

"Okay... okay, I'm gonna have to inject you first," she says, taking out a needle.

"Uh... whoa that's a big needle," he says.

"You ready?" she asks.

"Yeah, yeah, ahhh," he gasps as the needle goes into his arm.

"That was a modified version of the viral strain, now your body metabolizes the poison and the antiviral serum's gonna be created from your blood."

"Poison-poison! I thought he was getting the antidote, you just gave him poison!" Bela asks.

"Yeah, that's the only way to make the antidote," she explains. "Did you not understand that?"

"Oh, that! I understand that whole part, we're living on the edge," Bela nods, turning to Chuck.

"Love the rush," he smiles as they make their way to the main room.

"Hey," Bela says, grabbing his arm before he goes in. "Take care of him first, okay?"

He nods before making his way into the room.

"You okay?" Jill asks, Bela clutching the walkie talkie.

"I just hope this works," she says, smiling lightly.

"It's okay, I know what I'm doing," Jill smiles reassuringly.

"Yeah, but it's Chuck and a needle," Bela says, handing her the walkie talkie. "Anything could go wrong."

"Okay, inside the briefcase is a medisyringe multi-dose injector," Jill explains. "I need you to extract sixty ccs of your own blood, put it through the centrifuge, and then _inject _one cc of the antiviral serum into each of those infected."

"You think he can manage that?" she asks, turning to Bela.

"I don't know," she says, staring at the door.

"Chuck, what's happening?" Jill asks.

"I need help right now-Casey's fading fast, the gun just dropped and it shattered!"

"That was the only syringe," Jill sighs, Bela snatching the walkie talkie.

"Chuck, I'm coming in," she growls.

"No," Casey mumbles from the floor. "Do not let her in here!"

"Damn it!" Bela yells, handing Jill back the walkie talkie as she moves away.

"Okay, ah stay calm we're gonna find another," Jill says before joining Bela.

"They're here!" Bela says, accidentally banging her head against the window. "Ow."

"The CDC are here with the suits?" Jill asks hopefully and she nods.

"Excellent, now you're gonna suit up and come in with me," she says, tossing the walkie talkie onto the table.

"Oh-okay," Bela says, nodding.

"And we need another syringe," Jill says as she takes the suits from the CDC.

"And hurry!" Bela yells, pulling her suit on.

"We'll make it, okay?" Jill reassures her before she's handed a fresh syringe. "Thank you. Okay Bela, you ready?"

"Uh huh," she says, following Jill inside.

"Where's Chuck?" Jill asks, the two looking around.

"Oh my God," Bela says, quickly making her way across the room. "What the hell are you doing?"

"Bela?" Chuck asks as Casey and him pull apart. "Jill?"

"I again ask what the _hell _are you doing?" she repeats.

"Hey, I thought that-I thought that maybe the antivirals could be spread by saliva!" he explains.

"That's ridiculous," Jill sighs, Bela shaking her head at him. "No wonder you failed biochem."

"From the deepest recess of my soul, I'm sorry," Chuck says as Casey growls at him before collapsing.

"Casey!" Bela says, leaning over him. "Hold on okay, just hold on."

"Oh, here we go again," Chuck says as he sees the needle.

"Bela, you take one half of the room I'll take the other, one cc each okay? Hurry!" Jill says, handing her a syringe.

She nods, immediately injecting Casey.

"I'll be back," she promises before moving on to the other infected people.

* * *

"Nice job, Agent's Carmichael," everyone congratulates Chuck and Bela as they exit the conference centre.

"I'll see you later," Bela says to Chuck and he nods.

"Casey!" she yells, pulling him to her. His arm wraps around her waist as he leans on her for support.

"Professional," he coughs. "There are other agents here."

"I really don't give a damn," she says but refrains from kissing him.

"I came here with Walker in the van," he mutters, looking around. "She's got the keys."

"I have my car," she beams, guiding him towards it. She clicks it unlocked before helping him into his seat.

"Just let me get out of this suit and we'll go," she says, struggling to get the protective gear off as Sarah joins them.

"Here," she offers, helping Bela out of it.

"Thank you," she smiles, leaning against the car. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah, but can you drop Casey off at the Orange Orange on your way home?" she asks

"Fine," she sighs, a smile playing at her lips. "I'll just play video games with Chuck until he gets home."

"Thank you, Bela," Sarah smiles, leaving the two alone.

"Ready to go?" she asks, climbing into the driver's seat.

"Yeah," he coughs, resting back against the seat as she pulls out of her parking spot.

She gets five minutes down the road before he breaks the silence.

"Pull over," he says.

"Huh?" she asks confused.

"Pull over, _now_," he growls.

She does what he says, quickly pulling the car over to the side of the road before turning to him.

"What the hell was that all ab-mmm," she moans as he presses his lips against hers, his hand sliding around the back of her head and pulling her closer.

"Sorry," he says when they pull apart. "Had to get the taste of Bartowski out of my mouth."

"Glad to be of service," she says, becoming annoyed.

He snorts, leaning over to her again and kissing her soundly.

"That was for you," he smirks, pulling back.

"Thanks," she laughs, starting the car.

* * *

"Bela," Casey nods, glancing at her as she looks up from her seat on the fountain. "What're you doing?"

"Sarah texted me," she says, holding her phone up. "She said you were heading home."

"Huh," he nods as she joins him. "You know I'm fine, right? The antivenom-"

"Antiviral," Bela corrects.

"Whatever, the stuff worked okay? I am fine," he assures her.

She nods, following him inside.

"You need a shower," she says, locking the door behind him. He raises an eyebrow before heading up the hallway, hearing her footsteps behind him.

"You're joining me?" he smirks as she begins to undress.

"I've been professional this long," she growls, pulling the rest of her clothes off before turning on the shower. "Hell, even Chuck got to kiss you before I did."

"Don't remind me," he winces, making a face. She laughs to herself before he wraps an arm around her waist, pulling her into the shower with him.

"Feel better already," he smirks.

She laughs, grabbing the shampoo bottle.

"What are you doing?" he asks, confused.

"Priorities," she notes, lathering her hair up before looping her arms around his neck and lazily massaging her fingers through his hair.

He groans, his lips meeting hers as she smiles up at him.

"Wait," she whispers before pushing him under the stream of water, rinsing his hair before following suit.

She reaches behind for the conditioner but he grabs her wrist, stopping her.

"You're gonna make me wait while you wash your hair?" he asks.

"Pfft, no," she says, brushing the conditioner through. "I have to leave this in for at least five minutes..."

He chuckles as she brushes it through his hair before pulling her up against him.

"Damn it, the wall is cold!" she hisses, arching her back into him. He smirks, shifting her slightly before pulling her down on him. "Jesus."

"You sure you're up to this after today?" she asks, laughing as he moves more aggressively. "I'll take that as a yes."

"Take it anyway you want, sweetheart," he says before his lips press against hers.

She gasps, resting her head back against the tiles as his lips travel down her neck.

"Casey!" she moans and his lips meet hers again, muffling her screams as they finish.

He kisses her forehead before she moves away from him, rinsing her hair.

"What's wrong?" he asks, his arms wrapping around her as he pulls her even closer.

"I thought I was gonna lose you today," she whispers, her lips meeting his.

"Now you know how I feel every time you get yourself in trouble," he says, resting his head against hers. They stay like that until she shivers, neither of them noticing the water turning colder.

"Done?" Casey asks and he shuts the water off as she nods, hoisting her up in his arms as she laughs.

"You've got a lot of energy tonight," she smirks as he sits her down on the bed.

"Just missed you," he grins as he joins her.

"Mhmm," she says, unconvinced.

He kisses her deeply, pulling back when she flips him onto his back, climbing on top of him.

She grins down at him, his hands grabbing her hips and lifting her up before lowering her down on him.

She bites her lip, rolling her head back as his hands move up to cup her breasts.

"Oh, God," she cries, her hands flat against his chest as she moves faster.

He smirks at her before his eyes are drawn to her tattoo like always, and he slides his fingers over the words.

"I think it's growing on me," he says, a smile playing at her lips.

"I'm glad," she whispers, leaning over him. "Because it's permanent."

He chuckles at this, his hands sliding back up to her hips and holding firmly.

She arches her back, rolling her head back as she quickens her pace.

"Casey!" she gasps, tensing as his hands grip hers.

He leans up, capturing her lips as they both finish before lightly trailing kisses down her neck as they catch their breaths.

She climbs off of him, pulling the sheet up as she slides down beside him.

"How'd your test go today?" he asks, and she looks up at him, surprised that he remembered.

"We failed," she smirks before explaining. "You called Chuck in the middle, so we left."

"Sorry," he says, kissing her.

"It doesn't matter," she says. "Devon will let us take it again, we'll be fine."

He nods.

"I'm just glad you're okay," she whispers, resting her head on his shoulder. He reaches his other arm across, taking her hand in his.

"Me too," he whispers, kissing the top of her head.

She closes her eyes as she yawns before they both groan at the sound of the doorbell.

"That's the door," she whispers, running her hand across his chest. He groans, releasing her as she gets up.

"Take the gun," he says his eyes on her as she pulls her dressing gown on.

"Casey," she frowns, picking it up.

"Take it," he orders.

"Fine," she sighs, taking it off safety before making her way to the front door.

"Sarah?" Bela asks, holding the gun behind her back as she cracks the door open.

"I need a friend," Sarah shrugs, blinking back tears. Bela opens her mouth before closing it, pulling the dressing gown tighter around her.

"Give me a couple of minutes to dress, okay?" she asks and Sarah nods, taking a seat on the couch.

Bela sighs, walking back up the hallway to Casey. She sets the gun back on the counter and he growls when he sees the look on her face, rolling over and flicking on the TV.

"Sorry," she says, crawling next to him. She leans over him, capturing his lips before climbing off of the bed.

"What's she want now?" he asks, watching her dress.

"It's just... it's Chuck," she shrugs, zipping up her top. "Chuck and Jill."

"She's getting too attached to him," he warns causing her to laugh.

"You can't talk," she grins, leaning over him again. He pulls her fully on top of him, kissing her firmly.

"How long will you be?" he asks, kissing down her neck. She smiles, pulling away.

"I won't wake you," she promises.

"Oh I'm counting on it, sweetheart," he chuckles, turning back to the TV.

"Sorry," she smiles, joining Sarah in the lounge room.

"Sorry to disturb… that," she says, gesturing up the hallway.

"He'll live," she chuckles. "Now come on, we're not staying here."

* * *

"Thanks again for this," Sarah says, smiling at Bela as they find a free seat, each with a beer in hand.

"Anytime," Bela says, taking a swig. "So…"

"I just needed some downtime, I guess," Sarah explains. "And I didn't really want to be by myself."

"No cover-date with Chuck?" she asks, Sarah quickly shaking her head.

"He's having a real date," she says, taking a sip of her drink. "With Jill. And so he should y'know? We're only dating for his cover, so he _should_ date other women."

"Oh, please," Bela snorts. "We both know that you like Chuck, so don't even try and talk yourself around it. And he likes you, too."

"And he likes Jill," Sarah says quietly.

"Jill was a big part of his life," Bela explains. "They had a very rocky ending and both kind of left things up in the air. Jill thought Chuck stole the tests, Chuck thought Jill slept with Bryce. It was hard for everyone, and they didn't leave things off very well so I guess they're making up for that."

"So it's gonna be like how Bryce and you are every time he's back?" Sarah asks, Bela choking on her drink.

"We're not-we don't-Bryce and me aren't-hmm," she says, quickly downing the last half of her bottle. "Bryce and me are a completely different, much more complicated story. Right now we're talking about you."

"I just want him to be happy," Sarah sighs, staring down at the bottle clasped in her hand.

"Chuck has made a few mistakes here and there, not as many as me I might add, but he's made a couple," Bela says. "But the decisions he makes with his heart aren't often wrong."

"So you're saying I should stick to my cover, and let Chuck and Jill-"

"I'm saying," Bela interrupts. "That you should be patient. Jill's not gonna be here forever, she was only in town for a conference. Things will be back to normal soon, alright? Chuck has real, non-spy feelings for you. He may be able to push them aside for the meantime, but they're not gonna disappear completely."

"I don't know."

"You just need to make sure Chuck knows how you feel once things have calmed down again," Bela reminds her.

"But I _can't_," she stresses.

"Then just do what Casey and me do," Bela shrugs. "It works fine for us."

"I don't think so," Sarah says, laughing lightly. "Casey and you have a… _unique_ relationship. It's hard to keep up."

"Because we fight all the time?" Bela laughs as Sarah nods. "But it makes for amazing makeup sex, so it's all worth it in the end."

"You worry me," Sarah laughs, shaking her head at Bela. "I should probably get you home soon."

"Eh, let him wait," she shrugs, a mischievous smile on her face. "Oh, come on. I haven't had a night out in so long."

"Fine," Sarah smirks. "But I'm not being held responsible if Casey gets pissy."

"Oh, of course not," Bela laughs. "I'll take care of him, don't worry about that."

* * *

A/N: Ahh, Jill is back and causing mischief and mayhem for Team Chuck! And a little confusion and mixed feelings for poor Sarah. We've got two more Jill chapters coming up, so she's gonna have to play nice for the meantime. Next chapter should be up soon. Please review!


	21. Chuck vs The Fat Lady

A/N: So Jill has really shaken things up for Team Chuck, with Bela conflicted about her friendships with both Sarah and Jill, and Chuck quick to take Jill back. What happens when Casey and Sarah find out what Jill's _really_ up to? Please review!

* * *

"No mission tonight?" Bela asks, flipping through the channels on the TV before pausing on a football game.

"Nope, heading to castle with Walker to go over some files," Casey says, grabbing his keys. She bites her lip, slowly turning to him.

"Do I have to-need to come?" she asks, quickly correcting herself before smiling up at him sweetly.

"No," he snorts. "Have an early night, I'll be home later."

She nods, turning back to the TV.

"Bela," he says, raising an eyebrow.

"Yeah?"

"Denver?" he asks, nodding towards the game. "Really?"

"Goodbye," she smirks, ignoring his grunt as he leaves.

* * *

Casey curses as he deactivates the security system in his apartment, reactivating it once he's inside.

"Bela!" he calls out, frowning when he receives no answer.

He quickly scans the kitchen and living room. TV was switched off, lights were off in the kitchen, just one light left on in the hallway-left on for him he assumed.

He tosses his keys on the bench before kicking off his shoes, quietly making his way up the hallway.

He pauses, reaching his leg out and knocking over the hallway table. He hears Bela shift in the bed as he pushes open the door, watching her roll over to face him.

"Don't move!" she yells, cocking the gun. She reaches over with her free hand and flicks the lamp on. "Damn it, Casey."

He grins, watching her lower the gun as he strips down to his underwear.

"Just checking that you actually use the thing," he says, crawling next to her.

"Ha ha," she says, making sure the safety was on again before sliding the gun onto the cupboard and flicking the light back off. He wraps his arm around her waist, pulling her back against him.

"Where were you anyway?" she mumbles as he kisses her neck.

"Working," he says, staring at the TV over her shoulder. "What are you watching?"

"Letterman," she yawns, slapping his arm as he reaches for the remote. "My TV, my rules."

"How you convinced me to put a TV in the bedroom I'll never know," he sighs, nuzzling her neck. She smiles, pulling his arm tighter around her waist.

"Sleep or sex?" he asks, watching her reach for the remote as she turns off the TV.

"Sleep," she yawns. He growls, his lips sliding across her neck. "Casey."

"Sleep was your choice, not mine," he chuckles as she rolls over to face him. She smiles as he pulls her closer, his lips pressing against hers.

"Change your mind?" he whispers as she slides her underwear off.

"Maybe," she smirks as he rolls her onto her back, his boxers joining hers on the floor. She moans as he moves against her, his hand resting against her hip.

"Trying something new?" she smirks as he pulls her legs up to rest over his shoulders.

"You complaining?" he asks, pushing into her.

She shakes her head.

"Good," he says and she cries out as he moves faster.

"Casey!" she screams, her toes curling in.

He groans, moving against her once more before finishing.

"You should try something new more often," she pants, still catching her breath as he grins.

He kisses her before they part, Casey rolling onto his side before moving closer to her.

"Your nerd friend and Jill were on a date tonight," he says, their legs entangled under the sheets.

"My nerd friend? That's what you're calling Chuck now?" she snorts. "And yeah, I knew they were having a secret rendezvous on the Buy More roof."

"Could'a told me," he mutters.

"Why, so you could start spying on them earlier than you did?" she asks. "Not likely."

He grunts before kissing her.

"We received our new mission tonight," he says and she nods. "Tomorrow we're gonna break into Guy's hotel room, we think he might have a list of all the Fulcrum agents that were blackmailing him."

"Oh, okay," she yawns, moving closer to him. "Can we talk about it tomorrow, I'm tired."

"You're lucky, I talked Walker out of coming here again tonight," he says and she opens her eyes immediately.

"You _what_?" she growls.

"She wanted to come 'hang out' with you again, I said you were resting after last night," he shrugs.

"Damn it, Casey you should've just let her come over!" she mutters.

"And have you leave again and not get back here until _three_ in the morning? Yeah, I know what time you got home last night, sweetheart," he argues.

"We were just talking about Chuck," she explains. "She's pretty much lost her cover boyfriend, how would you feel if I started dating Bryce again?"

"I'd kill him," he shrugs.

"Yeah, that's real mature," she snorts, turning away from him.

He frowns, his arm pulling her back against him.

"You can 'hang out' with Walker every _second_ night," he negotiates and she smirks.

"Yes, sir," she nods.

* * *

"Hey, so Sarah said there's gonna be an easing up on the Chuck surveillance," Chuck says, Casey and Bela looking up as he joins them.

"You're a Government asset, Chuck; sometimes your personal life has to take a back seat," Casey mutters.

"We tried the backseat; you have a camera in the car too!" Chuck growls, Bela swiftly elbowing Casey in the ribs.

"There isn't one in my backseat sweetheart, calm down," he assures her.

"Come on, how many second chances do you get with the one that got away!" Chuck continues. "Plus she already knows Bela and I are, you know-"

"I'm not even interested in my own feelings, Bartowski," Casey growls. "Keep your mind on the mission, we leave in ten."

Chuck turns to Bela as Casey leaves the two alone.

"I'll talk to him… again," she promises as Morgan joins them.

"Hey, guys! Canada has just delivered its most delightful gift since Shania Twain," he grins, pulling a chip out of the box in his hand. "Behold the Q36 game copier; check it out, now all we have to do is rent a game, rip it, and we never have to pay for our entertainment again!"

"Yeah, Big Mike's gonna be thrilled seeing as how we _sell_ video games," Bela says, rolling her eyes.

"Come on, this thing can ignore all forms of copy protection! It can copy anything!" he continues. "Highly illegal."

"What's illegal?" Emmett asks, joining their conversation as Morgan hides the chip. "Gonna smoke some weed on your lunch break? A little reefer? Ganja? I have heard the loading dock is like a Five for Fighting concert. So fierce. Chuck, Bela can I see you in my office, please?"

"Uh, sorry Emmett, can't-gotta go," he says, Bela nodding enthusiastically beside him.

"Oh really? Where?" he asks.

"Uh, it's an offsite install, two man-person job so it's probably gonna take a while," Bela lies. "So… see ya."

She grabs Chuck's arm, the two quickly leaving.

* * *

"You're kidding, right?" Bela asks, staring at Sarah as she hands her the clothes.

"No," she laughs. "We're posing as prostitutes."

"And Casey-?"

"He's fine with it," she nods. "Now change, Chuck will be here soon."

"Mhmm," she says, staring down at the clothes again before nodding. "I'll be out in a minute."

Sarah smirks at this before pulling out two firearms, setting them on the desk as she pulls her boots on.

"Are you done?" she calls, standing up straight as Bela emerges from the bathroom.

"I don't think I can do this," she says, clearly embarrassed.

She tugs at the red dress, trying to pull it down more. It barely covered her as it was.

"What's wrong?" she asks.

"Uh, the non-existent dress, the fishnets, the _boots_!" she says, exasperated.

"It's for our cover, relax," Sarah says, smiling lightly. "Now Casey said you can carry one of these now."

"Oh, excellent," Bela deadpans, taking the gun from Sarah. "And where do I hide this?"

Sarah shows her how to hide it inside her boot just as Chuck and Jill walk in.

"Hi-oh," Chuck says, staring at the two.

"Chuck?" Jill asks.

"Hey, Jill," Bela says, smiling lightly.

* * *

"Is it absolutely necessary for you two to dress like-" Chuck starts, glancing at Bela and Sarah, their arms looped in his. Casey followed closely behind, clad in a bellboy uniform.

"Escorts?" Sarah finishes for him.

"Yeah, yeah, escorts," he says, embarrassed. "And why exactly is Mr Carmichael paying you to have sex with me-him."

"The Waldron is notorious for its high-end businessmen and their trysts, it's our cover so sell it," she explains.

Casey passes the three, waiting in the elevator as Bela pulls Chuck along by the tie.

"Really?" he asks, glancing at her.

"I'm just selling it," she smirks.

* * *

"I've got the security feed," Casey says once they're set up in one of the rooms. "Looks like the FBI have Guy's room on lockdown."

He glances up as Sarah and Bela finish changing.

"We're entering through the ventilation system."

"We're what now?" Bela asks, Casey grabbing a chair.

He climbs up, opening the cover before pulling himself up.

"Give me your hand," he says, Bela staring up at him with wide eyes.

"I'll wait here," she suggests. "Protect our, uh, stuff."

"No, you're coming," he growls. "Now give me your damn hand!"

She swallows hard before climbing up on the chair.

"Trust me," he says and she nods, reaching her hands up.

He pulls her up quickly as she grips his arms before he falls back with her.

"You alright?" he asks as she lands heavily on top of him.

"Uh huh," she nods, the two maneuvering around each other until Casey was in front of her.

"Follow me, they'll follow you," he says as he starts pulling himself along on his stomach through the vent.

"Seriously?" she asks, panting already as she pulls herself along behind him. "Is his room close? Like right around the corner, close?"

"Think again," he snorts.

"Hey, hey, how long is this gonna take?" Chuck asks, out of breath also.

"What's the matter Bartowski, you got a date?" Casey asks.

"Actually, yes," he says before banging his head. "Ow."

"You okay?" Sarah asks, glancing back at him.

"Why don't you just call ahead and let 'em know we're coming," Casey growls.

"Sorry," he says. "Just trying to figure out what time we'll be home."

"Well, just do the cover math, how long would it take for a business man to have sex with a prostitute?" Sarah asks.

"Two prostitutes," Bela reminds them as Chuck complains about his phone.

"So you think it shouldn't take me more than an hour to have sex with the two of you, start to finish?" he asks.

"Uh huh," Sarah says, Bela snorting at this.

"And…" Chuck says, setting the timer on his watch. "Begin. What-what am I doing wrong here?"

"Well, just move your hips a little to the left," Sarah says, glancing back at him as he tries to maneuver around a corner.

"Whoa-what, okay," he says, still struggling. "This is way more exhausting than I thought it would be."

"Ow-ow, Bela you're on my hair," Sarah says, Bela quickly moving up further.

"Sorry," she apologizes before turning back to see how he was doing. "Chuck come on, you're holding up the works."

"Your knees aren't hurting?" he asks. "Did you go to a school to master this?"

"Alright," Casey says, opening the vent before jumping down.

"Oh, hell no," Bela says, shaking her head as she tries to slide backwards.

"Ouch!" Sarah says, unsuccessfully trying to dodge Bela's foot.

"I'm sorry, but I am not jumping down there," she says. "I'll break something!"

"Bela, get your ass down here now!" Casey hisses, staring up at her.

She peeks down, taking a deep breath before slowly lowering herself down.

Casey wraps his arms around her waist and she lets go, her hands gripping his shoulders.

"That wasn't so hard, was it?" he asks, setting her down as Sarah jumps down behind them.

Casey tosses her a walkie talkie before she looks up at Chuck.

"What are you doing up there?" Sarah whispers.

"Ah!" he yells, crashing down onto the floor.

"Shh!" Casey growls. "It's FBI, they're dumb not deaf."

"Thanks," Chuck says as Bela helps him up, the others already starting to go through Guy's stuff.

Bela begins to look as well as Chuck's phone rings.

"Sorry," he says, quickly switching it off.

Bela shakes her head at him as he kneels on the floor, putting his phone away before their eyes are drawn to a box on the shelf.

"Oh," she whispers, Chuck picking it up slowly before standing. "Hey, hey!"

Casey and Sarah turn to him and he points at the box, the two joining him and Bela.

"We just flashed on it," Bela explains.

They all look up at the sound of gunshots outside the door.

Casey quickly boosts Sarah up in the vent before taking Bela's hand.

"Go," he growls and she stares up at Sarah before Casey helps her up, Sarah pulling her the rest of the way.

"C'mon," Sarah whispers, the two pulling themselves through the air vent before Chuck and Casey quickly follow.

"It seems like this time is taking longer," Bela complains, following Sarah as fast as she could.

"You're going faster than Bartowski, so quit complaining," Casey growls, pushing Chuck's shoes out of his face.

"Sorry," he says, exasperated. "Some of us aren't trained in the art of crawling though small spaces, alright?"

"Just get down the damn hole," Casey growls once Sarah and Bela are back in the hotel room.

He quickly jumps down, taking the box from Casey before he joins him.

"Does the word _silent_ have a different meaning in _geek_ that I'm not aware of?" Casey asks, packing up his surveillance equipment.

"Look I'm sorry, I thought it was on vibrate," he apologizes as he sets the box down, Sarah and Bela examining it. "At least we got the list."

"It's a Venetian puzzle box," Bela explains.

"Very popular with renaissance spies," Chuck jokes, Bela smirking at this.

"It's locked," Sarah complains.

"Here," Bela says, sliding the box in front of her. "The running, jumping, shooting people part of the job, that's all you guys; but the puzzles? That's all us."

Chuck and her lean down, carefully sliding the pieces around.

"You see, you think it'd be numerals one through twelve in a row, but these boxes use a complicated Fibonacci sequence."

They slide the last few pieces into place, and the box unlocks itself.

"Let's see what we've got," Chuck smiles, Sarah leaning over to look as well.

"What is it?" Bela asks, confused before something sprays in their faces.

"Casey, gas!" Sarah yells as Chuck and Bela start choking.

"I'll be right back with a containment unit," Casey says, quickly exiting the room.

"What is it-get it off, get it off me!" Chuck yells in a panic, Bela swiping at her face.

"Take your clothes off, get in the shower now! Quick!" Sarah orders, the two following in their underwear.

"Cold! So-so-so cold!" Bela gasps as Sarah pushes Chuck and her under the stream of water before joining them.

"Use the soap, wash it off," she orders.

"Oh God, sorry," Chuck apologizes as he presses up against Sarah as she bends down to pick up the dropped soap.

"Wash your hair," Sarah says, handing Bela a bottle of shampoo.

She nods, Chuck glancing at her.

"Hey, your tattoo!" he says to Bela, seeing it completely uncovered for the first time as he runs his hand over it.

"Not the time," she growls, tossing Sarah the shampoo.

"Turn around," Chuck says, washing Sarah's back. His hand lingers on her skin a little too long before he snaps out of it.

Sarah shuts off the water as someone knocks on the door.

"Get the door, it's Casey," Sarah orders Chuck. "We have no time to waste, quick!"

"How long do we have?" Bela asks anxiously as Sarah hands her a towel, the two walking out.

"Depends on what the gas was," she explains, freezing as she looks up at the door.

"Jill!" Bela gasps, staring down at herself before glancing at Sarah. "Uh..."

"I knew it," Jill whispers, turning away.

"Jill, wait it's not what you think!" Chuck says following her. "Jill, please I could be dying!"

"That was awkward," Bela says as Chuck joins them back in the room.

"Ya think?" he asks, growling as someone knocks on the door again. "What?"

"Move it Bartowski," Casey growls, making his way into the room.

He glances at Bela before setting down his equipment, beginning to set it up.

"Have a nice shower?" he smirks, staring at the three in their underwear.

Bela rolls her eyes, following Sarah into the bathroom.

"Cold, Bartowski?" Casey asks, Chuck quickly placing his hands over his crotch.

"Excuse me," he says, joining the others.

"How long is this gonna take?" Bela asks Casey as they return, all three now wearing bathrobes.

"How does Jill pick that exact moment to walk in on us, I mean what are-what are the odds," he asks, scratching. "And does this thing give us the antidote? 'Cause I think I feel-I think my throat's closing up on me."

Bela looks up at Casey hopefully as the machine beeps.

"What is it, flesh eating bacteria or anthrax, am I gonna die?" Chuck asks, panicked.

"Nope," Casey says, tasting the powder. "But you can add ice and give it to little kids to sell on street corners."

"I knew it," Chuck says, turning to Sarah and Bela. "Drugs."

"It's powdered fruit punch, dumbass," Casey says, Bela sighing in relief before he pulls her over to him, kissing her.

"Wait, so not only did we not get the Fulcrum list, but Jill's never gonna speak to me again because she caught me naked rinsing off fruit punch with two other women?" Chuck asks slowly.

They pull apart, turning to him.

"Common spy problem," Casey jokes, quickly kissing Bela again before packing up his equipment.

"Really?" Chuck growls, rolling his eyes.

* * *

"Don't you have work?" Sarah asks, looking up as Bela sneezes.

"She's on her lunch break," Casey shrugs, his hand resting on Bela's leg as they stare at the puzzle box.

Sarah shakes her head at the two before they all look up as the back door of the Orange Orange slides open.

"You brought her here?" Casey asks, staring up at Chuck and Jill.

"Um, okay," Chuck says nervously.

"Bartowski, it's not a secret location if you invite people over," he continues, Bela staring anxiously up at Jill.

"Okay, okay, but Jill here knows about Guy's puzzles," Chuck explains.

"They just found two dead FBI agents in La Fleur's room, now is not the time to be planning game night with your girlfriend."

"Jill, would you please tell them what you told me about how the fruit punch might actually be a clue," Chuck encourages, Bela smiling reassuringly at her.

"Guy's paranoia manifested itself in obscure ways," Jill explains. "Odd literary references, mathematical proofs; the logon for his computer was a randomly selected word from a piece of Rogan poetry."

"So, what do you think the fruit punch might mean?" Chuck asks.

"What kind of fruit punch was it?" she asks, turning to the others.

"Uh, I guess... traditional fruit punch," Sarah says, glancing at Casey.

"You guess?" she sighs. "Please tell me you got the exact formula."

Casey and Sarah glance at each other silently.

"Okay, um, is there a mass spectrometer around?" Jill asks.

"Casey, get the spectrometer," Chuck says before pausing. "Do we have one of those?"

"So, uh, about before..." Bela says uncomfortably as Casey searches for the machine.

"Chuck explained everything, it's alright," Jill smiles, pulling Bela into a hug.

"Oh, okay," Bela nods, smiling. "Great!"

"I trust you, Bela," she smiles. "You believed me when I said I didn't sleep with Bryce, so I believe that you didn't sleep with Chuck."

"That's fair," Chuck says, interrupting the two.

"Here," Casey says, setting the machine down on the table.

Jill pulls on a pair of gloves as she sets everything up.

"Can see what the boy sees in her, huh?" Casey smirks at Sarah before Bela angrily shoves past him, moving to stand on the opposite side of the desk to him.

He goes to say something to her before Jill interrupts.

"Now, we compare the crystal and powder's chemical composition to a list of known products," Jill explains.

Bela snorts as the result comes up on the screen.

"It's uh, it's 'Rootin' Raspberry' flavoured Hi-C," Chuck says, staring at the others.

"'Rootin' Raspberry', maybe it has something to do with a football team or cheerleaders?" Jill asks.

"What about International waters?" Sarah suggests.

"High _seas_, that's good!" Jill encourages.

"Guys, guys, this is a music box," Chuck says. "It's a music box it's not high sea, s-e-a, it's high _C_, like a musical note, high C-where's a pitch pipe when you need one!"

Everyone stares at Casey as he belts out a perfect high C.

"Hey!" Bela grins as the box ejects something before slowly turning to Casey. "That-hmm, what was that?"

"Choir boy," he shrugs, everyone still staring at him. "What? I wasn't hatched."

"Ha, check it out," Chuck says, picking up the ejected item.

"Huh, these are opera glasses," Jill says.

Chuck stares at the glasses before slowly handing them to Bela.

"What?" she asks, holding them up to her eyes before flashing on them. "You couldn't have just said? They're not opera glasses, it's a key."

"A key to a very super secret lock box," Chuck says, handing Casey the key. "The Colerain used to use stuff like that to pass along information during the Revolutionary War days."

"Wow, Chuck that's impressive," Jill grins at him.

"Yeah, nice going there braniacs," Casey says. "But before you go getting all full of yourselves, this is the key, where's the lock?"

"The question, my dear Casey, is where's the opera?" Bela asks, raising an eyebrow.

* * *

"You're not concerned to have a civilian in a covert Government investigation?" Sarah asks Casey as they walk into the opera rehearsals with Bela.

"Eh, girl has personal knowledge of Guy La Fleur, makes her of use to us," he shrugs. "Are you sure you're not just jealous Bartowski's found himself a new piece of asset?"

Sarah rolls her eyes at him before continuing forward.

"You know what Casey?" Bela asks, waiting for Sarah to walk a few feet in front of them. "I'm getting a little sick of your comments, and just so you know? You're getting very close to being _just_ my cover boyfriend and nothing more, no sex, _nothing_."

"Relax, sweetheart, you know I'm just having fun."

"Watch yourself or I might start having a little fun like I used to," she threatens, meeting his gaze.

"Hey, we got it!" Chuck yells, running onto the stage with Jill before setting a box down on the table.

"We'll get out of your hair in a minute, okay?" Casey asks, moving through the people.

"We don't have a minute, we're trying to rehearse," an accented man says.

"This is just a quick minute," Bela explains. "You know, Government stuff."

"Watch out," Chuck says, moving Jill back as Casey opens the box.

"Casey, that's a bomb," Sarah says.

"Alright, rehearsal's over everyone out of here!" Casey yells, clearing the stage.

"Come on Chuck, we've gotta go-let's go!" Sarah says, grabbing his arm.

"Wait, this doesn't make any sense, Guy wanted to help people not hurt them," Jill explains. "This isn't a bomb, it's a clue."

"Jill, if it looks like a bomb and it ticks lock a bomb, generally it's a bomb!" Sarah growls.

"No, this is a puzzle we have to solve before the timer runs out," she says.

"And what if you're wrong?" Sarah asks.

"That doesn't happen," Jill says confidently.

"Look, it's a music thing, what's the opera?" Bela asks before Sarah grabs her arm.

"Go to Casey, _now_," she hisses, pushing her away.

"No! I'm not leaving you guys here," she says before Sarah shakes her head.

"Go!" she orders.

"Bela!" Casey yells, standing at the door.

She stares at the others before sighing, quickly jogging down to him.

"Next time you come with me straight away," he growls, pulling her to him.

"Wait," she says, turning. "It should have gone off by now."

He turns, nodding as he sees the relief on Sarah's face.

"C'mon," he says, pulling her along as they run back to the stage.

"Awkward," Bela says, both her and Sarah turning away as Chuck and Jill make out.

"Ah, love love right?" Casey says, both of them glaring at him.

* * *

"Bela, Bela where are you!" Chuck yells into his phone.

She glares at Casey before spinning around in her seat.

"Held captive in castle," she deadpans, her phone against her ear. "Since you went off grid I'm not allowed to be out of Casey's sight. Thanks for that, by the way. Hope your trip was worth it."

"Bela, I need you to get me the list!" he continues, his voice becoming more panicked. "The Fulcrum guy took Jill-he has Jill!"

"Chuck, calm down," Bela says, turning back around to face Casey.

"Calm down-he _has_ Jill!" he yells, Bela sighing. "Bells, _please_."

"What do you want me to do?" she asks.

"Bring me the list," he pleads. "I'm in the parking lot, next to your car. Get me the list and we'll go, okay?"

She stares at Casey before looking away.

"My keys are in my locker, get them and I'll meet you in five. And Chuck? You owe me," she whispers before hanging up.

"That Bartowski?" he asks, glancing at her.

"Yeah," she nods and he sighs.

"Should'a told me, I could've traced the call-find out where he went," he says, frowning.

"I... already know," she says, biting her lip. He stares at her, waiting for her to continue. "I think you should call the General. Chuck's fine, but a Fulcrum agent took Jill-he wants the list."

"Not gonna happen," he says, shaking his head. "I'll call Beckman, but there's not a chance in hell that Fulcrum are getting that list back."

She nods, watching him carefully as he makes his way over to the phone.

"General, we have a situation," he says as the call's connected. She takes a deep breath before making her move.

She grabs the flash drive, ignoring Casey's yells as she slides under the cages moving down, locking Casey in.

"Shoot her, Walker!" he yells, his voice breaking.

"Bela, freeze!" Sarah orders, holding a gun on her. "If you try to take that, I have to stop you."

"Sarah, please, let me go!" she says, stepping behind another door. "This is for Chuck."

"This is treason, Bela!" Casey growls.

"Please, just let me go," Bela pleads, her eyes on Sarah.

"Damn it just shoot her, Walker!" Casey yells.

"I'm sorry," Bela apologizes as Sarah lowers her weapon. "I have to."

She glances at Casey before shaking her head.

"I'm so sorry."

They watch her leave, Sarah turning to Casey.

"I would never have shot her, you know that," she whispers.

"Out of the two of us, you're the only one who could've," he says.

* * *

"Are you okay?" Chuck asks as Bela meets him at her car.

She stretches her hand out, quickly taking the keys from him before they both climb in.

"Bells?" he asks, staring at her.

She grips the wheel, breathing deeply.

"What I just did for you," she whispers, shaking her head. "You have no idea what that took."

"I'm sorry, but it's Jill!" he says urgently.

"And it's me, and it's Casey, and it's Sarah!" she yells. "Chuck, this is all of us. Casey just ordered Sarah to gun me down, alright?"

"He what? She-"

"Obviously she didn't, but do you know what that's like?" she asks. "He was yelling at her to shoot me, _Casey_ said those words. You have no idea what it took for me to get here."

"I'm sorry," he whispers.

She nods glancing at his hands.

"What's that?" she asks before quickly turning back to it. "Is that Morgan's game copier!"

"Gotta make a copy of the list," he shrugs, a smile playing at his lips. "I'll pretend it was your idea?"

"I hate you," she smirks, starting the car up. "Where are we headed?"

* * *

"Do you at least have a gun?" Chuck asks, the two making their way to the stage.

"Oh I'm sorry, I was a little preoccupied with _not getting shot_ that I forgot to arm myself," she growls, glaring at him.

"So I'll take that as a no," he says as they look around, the Fulcrum agent moving onto the stage with Jill at gunpoint. "Jill!"

"Chuck!" she cries.

"Can we dispense with the pillow talk and just do this?" the agent asks.

"Yeah, yeah, okay, just let her go," Chuck bargains.

"Not so fast, you've seen mine, now show me yours," he says.

"That's fine, but first we need to know that she's gonna be safe," Bela interrupts.

"That's not how this works," he says. "You hand over the list, or I shoot you all."

"That's not how this works either," Casey says, joining them with his gun trained on the Fulcrum agent.

"Go wait in the car," he orders Chuck and Bela.

"Don't move, guys," the agent says. "Stay right where you are, I have a sharp shooter trained on you."

Bela glances up at the balcony before swallowing hard.

"Now I have the sniper," Casey smirks as Sarah kicks the other agent off of the balcony.

"I still have the advantage," the agent says. "Somebody give me the list, or I shoot the pretty one!"

"He's talking about you," Chuck and Bela say at the same time, smiling lightly.

"Yeah, go ahead and shoot 'em, you know I was thinking about shooting them myself," Casey says, taking out another gun and aiming it at the two.

"That's a great-" Bela starts before realizing what he just said. "Wait-what! Why would you-what are you crazy! How about nobody-how about nobody shoots us!"

"I'm not Sarah, sweetheart," he growls. "Give him that list, and I won't hesitate to shoot you dead."

She gasps, staring at him wide eyed as Chuck grabs her hand comfortingly.

"It's your choice, would you rather I shoot _this_ girl?" the Fulcrum agent asks.

"Please don't, I would rather you didn't shoot either girl, just point the gun at me please," Chuck says.

"Oh go ahead, shoot the girls sometimes collateral damage is unavoidable," Casey says.

"No," Chuck interrupts. "It's always avoidable, look I have it, look here it is, here's the list."

He slides his hand out of Bela's, holding up the flash drive before winking at Casey.

"Look, you got a better plan?" he asks. "Cause I'm not okay with collateral damage right now. Here you go, here's your list of Fulcrum agents."

He slides it across the floor to the agent, who stops it with his foot.

"Well Mister Casey, Fulcrum would rather you not know who we have inside Government," he says before stomping on the flash drive, smashing it. "Show must go on."

He pushes Jill forward before making a run for it, Sarah and Casey shooting at him.

"Hey, you're okay, you're okay now," Chuck says, comforting Jill in his arms. "I'm so sorry. He's gone, he's gone, it's all over."

* * *

"I can't believe he threatened to shoot you again," Chuck says, kissing Bela on the forehead.

She stares at him blankly from the hood of her car.

"Want me to kick his ass?" he jokes, and she rewards him with a small smile.

"Bartowski!" Casey yells, storming over to the two. "First I'm gonna have you arrested for crimes against your country, then I'm gonna take you down to the club and hang you up by your fingernails where the boys-"

"Hey, I appreciate the threats, I really do but can we please explain ourselves?" Chuck asks.

"Explain what?" Casey yells, glancing at Bela. "You gave away classified Intel to the enemy, now we're never gonna know the identity of those Fulcrum agents-"

"Ye of little faith, Casey come on, buddy," Chuck interrupts, reaching into his pocket. "Do you really think that we would give that guy the list to destroy before we made ourselves a copy?"

"Hey," Casey says, snatching the chip from him.

"Q36 game copier, thankfully Morgan is too cheap and unethical to pay for his own video game entertainment," Bela explains.

"Canada's greatest gift since Shania Twain," Chuck adds, receiving another smile from Bela. "I'm gonna go check on Jill, we'll be back in a minute."

"Okay," she nods before he leaves, Casey moving over to her.

"We need to talk," he says and she snorts, shaking her head.

"I can't stand you right now, not after that," she says, moving away from him as Chuck and Jill make their way over. "Ready to go?"

Jill nods, smiling at her as she slides into the back seat with Chuck.

Bela silently moves into the front seat, starting the car up before driving away.

* * *

"Decryption key's been found," Casey notes, Sarah and him going through the files of agents in castle.

She nods, the two glancing up as more and more Fulcrum agents were revealed.

"Where's Bela?" Sarah asks.

He growls, shaking his head.

"I think you're gonna have to have another girl's night with her or something," he mutters, Sarah smiling lightly. "She's not happy."

"I'll do what I can," she says, pausing to look up at the screen. "Casey…"

He stares at the screen wide eyed. It was Jill, and she was Fulcrum.

* * *

"Damn it, he left his watch," Sarah curses, putting her gun away as Casey and her search Chuck's empty room.

"Moron," Casey growls.

"Have you spoken to Bela at all?" she asks, looking around Chuck's apartment. He shakes his head before running to his apartment.

Sarah frowns and grabs Chuck's watch, searching his room for any signs of a struggle, her eyes deliberately ignoring the unmade bed.

She sighs, making her way out to the courtyard as Casey joins her.

"She's gone," he says, holding up another watch. "Bela's gone."

* * *

A/N: Both Chuck and Bela are gone, and neither know that Jill is a Fulcrum agent. Will Casey and Sarah get to them in time? Next chapter will be up before Christmas!


	22. Chuck vs The Gravitron

A/N: The final Jill chapter-for now. Chuck and Bela are still missing, and are both unaware of Jill's spy background. And Merry Christmas everyone! Hope you have a great day and get everything you asked for!

* * *

"Jill Roberts is Fulcrum?" Beckman asks angrily. "And both Chuck and Bela are _gone_? How is that possible?"

"Well the La Fleur list contained a code name, our computer translated it to one Jill Roberts," Casey explains, turning away from the computer. "By the time we saw it, they were already gone."

"Their cells are switched off and their watches are still in their apartments," Sarah explains.

"Find them," the General growls. "I don't care how, just do it."

"You know it doesn't matter," Casey says, turning to Sarah. "Fulcrum's working them over by now, they're not gonna last an hour."

"No, you're wrong they don't know Chuck and Bela are the intersects and they don't know Jill has been burned," Sarah explains. "You're ready to give up on her already?"

"Sometimes it's easier to think the worst," he says quietly and she sighs.

"We'll find them, Casey," she says, reassuringly.

* * *

"Idiot!" Casey yells, grabbing Chuck's arm as he walks past. "You sad sack, bleeding heart, idiot!"

"She's-she's-" Chuck stutters, sitting up on the massage table he'd been thrown on.

"Chuck, never do that again," Sarah growls.

"Jill, I think-"

"We know," Casey and Sarah both say.

"Wait, this has got to be a mistake okay? I've known Jill for eight years! Since college, and we had this really night-look, she's not a spy and she has no Fulcrum code name!" Chuck says.

"The code name…" Casey starts.

"Wait, wait, don't say it!" Chuck pleads.

"Sandstorm."

"Oh my God," Chuck says after flashing. "Jill's a spy."

"I'm sorry, Chuck," Sarah says.

Casey growls, looking around.

"So you _all_ had to come just so you could get laid?" he asks, Chuck frowning at this.

"All, what do you mean _all_?" Chuck asks, confused.

"Bela-I take it she's here somewhere?"

"Jill and me left together, I haven't seen Bela since yesterday," he explains before his eyes widen. "Wait-did something happen to Bela!"

"We don't know," Sarah sighs. "No one has seen or heard from her since yesterday."

"Look, well deal with this later, right now you have to go back in there," Casey interrupts.

"What do you mean I have to go back in there?" Chuck asks.

"Think Bartowski, we don't want Jill to know that we know she's a spy, right?" Casey explains.

"Oh, okay, look, okay, Jill is Fulcrum, Fulcrum are looking for the intersects and one of the intersects just happens to be me!"

"Chuck, they' don't know that," Sarah says. "Trust me, we're right here, everything will be fine, you will be safe."

"Yeah, buck up soldier," Casey says, handing him a coffee tray. "Fulcrum pulled one on us, let's return the favour."

Chuck slowly turns around, his hand shaking as he holds the tray.

"Settle," Casey warns.

"No Bela," Sarah whispers, glancing up at Casey. He was already trying her cell again. "No answer?"

"Do you see me talking to her?" he growls.

"We're going to find her," she says. "Once we finish up here, we can track her car-"

"No we can't," Casey says, shaking his head.

"You never put a tracker on her car?" she asks, bemused.

"You can't get anywhere near that thing without five different alarms going off," he explains.

"We'll work something out, I'm sure she's fine," Sarah says, resting a hand on his arm.

He shrugs it off, trying Bela's cell again.

* * *

"Hey, guys," Bela says, waving at Chuck and Jill in the courtyard.

Chuck's eyes widen when he sees her, Jill waving back and smiling.

"Big night?" Jill asks, noticing the bags under her eyes.

"Yes and no," Bela says, yawning. "But I plan on spending my day off sleeping."

Chuck laughs nervously at her before turning back to Jill.

"Where have you been!" Casey yells, grabbing Bela roughly as she walks into his apartment.

"I'm not drunk," she says, holding her hands up. "Or hungover, I'm just tired."

"Bela!" Sarah yells, joining the two. "Where have you been!"

"I haven't been gone that long, what is everyone's problem?" she asks, trying to shrug off Casey arm but he only held her tighter.

"Where were you?" he repeats, staring into her eyes.

"Figuring out whether I should ever speak to you again," she says, and he releases her. "Or whether I should pack up for home without saying a word."

"What did you decide?" he asks slowly.

"Well I'm here, and I'm talking to you aren't I?" she growls before sighing. "I get what I did was wrong, Casey. But what you did was wrong, too."

"I'm sorry," he whispers, leaning towards her slowly. She closes the gap, her lips meeting his.

"We need to tell her," Sarah says once they pull apart, and Casey nods.

"Tell me what?"

"Jill is a Fulcrum agent," Casey says softly, Bela bursting out with laughter.

"Sandstorm," Sarah says, Bela gasping as she flashes on the name.

"No," she says, shaking her head. "No!"

"I'm sorry," Casey says again, resting his hand on her back as Chuck walks in.

"Chuck!" Bela says, rushing over and wrapping her arms around him.

He pulls her close, resting his head against hers.

"Who'd have thought, huh?" he says as they pull apart.

She nods, making her way over to Casey as Sarah talks to Chuck.

"Coffee?" Casey asks and she smiles, gratefully taking the cup from him.

"How could this happen?" Chuck asks, Beckman appearing on the computer screen in front of him.

"Jill must have been recruited when she was at Stanford," she explains. "Fulcrum uses leadership seminars to look for possible agents."

"Excuse me, uh, I'm sorry General but who in my life isn't a spy?" Chuck asks. "My sister, one of my best friend's, should I just start asking people that when I first meet them? 'Hi, I'd like the extra value meal and while we're on the topic do you covertly work for a Government espionage faction?'"

"Your flash in Jill's room referenced an agent called 'Leader'," she continues. "We want you to use your relationship with Jill, see if she makes contact with him."

"General, Chuck is not ready for this type of mission, he could barely handle a goodbye with Jill and she's gonna see right through him," Sarah explains.

"This is our best opportunity to infiltrate Fulcrum," Beckman continues. "But if you don't think he's ready-"

"I'll do it," Chuck says. "Jill betrayed me twice-"

"Well," Bela interrupts before shutting up. "Never mind."

"You bet I'll do it," Chuck says.

* * *

"I'm not invited," Morgan sulks, sitting with Chuck and Bela at the Nerd Herd desk. "I can't believe this I mean, how? Uninvited to T-Day?"

"Morgan, Morgan, relax," Chuck says. "I don't know how many times I have to tell you, it's all gonna be okay I'm gonna talk to Ellie and we're gonna sort it out."

"Anna's out of town, and you guys were my only hope if I don't have Thanksgiving with you-"

"Morgan, breathe," Bela interrupts before Big Mike asks to talk to him.

She watches the two before reaching under the desk, grabbing the remote for the TVs in the store.

"Monster trucks; again?" Casey asks, causing her to jump.

"Where the hell did you come from?" she asks, putting the remote back.

"What's your obsession with these things?" he asks his eyes still on the screens.

"They're awesome," she shrugs, turning to him. "Did you want something?"

"I thought you were being civil to me," he says, confused by her tone.

She sighs, staring up at him.

"I'm tired," she says. "This is me tired."

"No, this is you pissy," he says, smirking as she lightly hits him. "Ouch."

"Shut up," she mumbles, leaning her head against his chest as he wraps his arms around her.

They both look up as Chuck's phone rings.

"Answer it," Casey says his arms still around Bela.

"Not on the first ring, it implies an eagerness that I'm not really feeling right now-ahh," he says as Casey grabs his ear, holding the phone up against it. "Hi-hi-hi Jill. A date?"

Casey nods at him.

"Tonight, yeah that sounds great, where?" he asks. "It's a surprise? Of course I can tell my body guards to take the night off so we can be alone... wait, what? How is it a date if Bela comes...?"

Bela looks up at this, shaking her head immediately.

"I-I'll ask, yeah," he says, shrugging at her. "I'm looking forward to it as well. Mwah."

Casey grabs his ear, twisting it hard.

"Ow! What are you doing-what was that for?" he asks, annoyed.

"Kissy noise, have some self respect Bartowski, you're a man," he growls.

"I gotta go talk to Sarah," he says before leaving the two alone.

"What just happened?" Bela asks, staring up at him. "How did I suddenly get invited on their date?"

"She must suspect something," he says, sighing. "You're gonna have to go too."

"I don't want to go!" she protests.

He grabs her hand as Big Mike walks over to them.

"Monster trucks, Tiernan?" he asks, staring at the two.

"It's a Thanksgiving special," she says, smiling wide.

He mutters something before glancing at their entwined hands.

"We're gonna take lunch now, sir," Casey says, leading Bela out of the store.

"Sir," Bela snorts, but he still keeps her hand in his. "And I'm not going on this date."

"You are," he says.

"I'm not gonna be a third wheel while they make out and talk mushy to each other," she says, screwing her face up at this.

He holds his hand up as his phone rings, quickly answering it as they continue to the castle.

"Yeah, got it," he says, hanging up.

She keeps quiet, waiting for him to say something as they join Chuck and Sarah.

"Hey, NSA just picked up a purchase on Jill's credit card," Casey says, walking in with Bela. "Three tickets to some _stupid_ concert down at the music centre. Better not be another freakin' opera."

"Three tickets?" Sarah asks, Bela staring at the two as Casey walks away.

"Bela is coming on our date," Chuck says, smiling wide as Bela shakes her head quickly.

"Don't make me go, Sarah," she says, eyes wide. "Let me stay with you."

Sarah smiles at this before shaking her own head.

"Jill asked for you to go," she says. "That means she probably knows something, so you'll have to go. I'm sorry, but we'll be there waiting for you. And just remember Jill is capable of _anything."_

"Wow, thanks for _that_ pep talk," Bela deadpans, exchanging worried glances with Chuck.

* * *

"Don't make me go, _please_ don't make me go," Bela begs, on her knees in front of Casey.

"You're being ridiculous," he sighs.

"If you don't make me go I'll have sex with you all night," she promises. "_All night_, Casey. _Anything_ you want."

He considers this for a moment before shaking his head, pulling her to her feet.

"No, you're going," he says, pushing her to the door.

"If I die," she says, frowning. "Well, I can't say I told you so but if I find out that ghosts are real, I will come back as a ghost and tell you I told you so!"

"That has to be the stupidest thing you've ever said," he smirks before kissing her. "Have fun, third wheel."

"Son of a bitch," she mutters before making her way outside. "Jill!"

Jill looks up from her seat on the fountain.

"Bela, you're coming!" she beams, standing up and pulling her into a hug.

"Of course, this isn't gonna be awkward at all," Bela jokes, glancing at Chuck's apartment.

"Oh you," Jill laughs. "We used to hang out all the time, us three... and well, Bryce, but we can still have a great time!"

"I'm so excited," Bela says uncomfortably, sighing in relief as Chuck walks out of his apartment.

"You look great, both of you," he says, meeting Bela's eyes. "Sorry to keep you waiting."

He leans in and kisses Jill quickly.

"Let's go," he says, his arm around Jill as Bela follows slowly.

* * *

"So, what do you think of my surprise?" Jill asks, the three walking into a carnival.

"Uh wh-wh-this isn't," Chuck stutters, exchanging worried looks with Bela.

"What?" Jill asks.

"Nothing, nothing, if I seem tense it's just my irrational fear of carnivals," he explains.

"And my rational fear of clowns," Bela says, the two staring at her. "One tried to kill me once."

"That was a movie!" Chuck says.

"Freakin' clowns," Bela mutters, Jill smiling at the two.

"Right," she says. "C'mere, I got another surprise for you."

"Just for Chuck?" Bela asks hopefully.

"Of course not, you're coming too!" she says, looping her arm with Bela's.

'I'm so uncomfortable right now,' Bela mouths to Chuck who nods.

"Three," Jill says as they wait at the Ferris Wheel.

"Heights," Chuck and Bela say at the same time, taking a deep breath.

"You know I think these are only two seater-oh, okay we're really doing this," Bela says, Jill sitting herself in between the two.

"You saw this coming, didn't you," Jill grins at Chuck as Bela tries to keep her eyes off of the ground and the two of them.

"You bribed a carnie," he laughs nervously.

"You know what happens next?" she asks, Bela shutting her eyes in fear. "You get really, really nervous and you ramble on for a couple seconds and then, I have to kiss you."

"Oh this is unpleasant," Bela whispers, ignoring the sounds of Chuck and Jill making out next to her.

"I'm sorry, Chuck," Jill says. "Bela."

"Huh?" she asks, turning around before having a gun pressed against her abdomen.

"What are you doing?" Chuck asks.

"I work for a group called Fulcrum, you know who they are don't you?" she says. "They plan to eliminate the two of you."

"Jill, please, don't do this," Bela pleads.

"Believe me guys, I don't want to I'm not a killer, this isn't what I do for a living," she says.

"You pull that trigger and it is what you do for a living," Chuck says. "You already broke my heart, is it really necessary for you to shoot it as well as my best friend? Someone who used to be _your_ best friend as well by the way."

"You're right," Jill says after a moment. "Okay, here's the truth, there's a Fulcrum operative down there he's watching us right now. I'm supposed to transport you both to a car in the parking lot; if I don't follow their plan they're going to eliminate the two of you _and_ me as a precaution."

"I knew there was a reason you invited me!" Bela hisses as they get off the ride.

"Just do exactly what I say, okay?" Jill asks, still holding a gun on her as Chuck walks on the other side of her.

"I think you should know that my completely irrational fear of carnivals has spread to ex-girlfriends," Chuck says.

"And my rational fear of clowns to ex-best friends," Bela adds. "Seriously Jill, how do we know we can trust you? How do we know you're not just gonna take us to the parking lot to do something you said you wouldn't?"

"Oh, no," Jill sighs, staring at a man in front of them. "It's him."

"Who's him, him who?" Chuck asks.

"Leader," Jill says. "Look, come here."

She leads them away from him before he intercepts them.

"Um, excuse us person we don't know, you're blocking us," Bela says, Chuck staring at her in disbelief.

"Their handlers are closing in, eliminate them," Leader says.

"What, here?" Jill asks.

"Don't think," he continues. "Shoot them in the head and let's go."

"D-did-did you just say?" Chuck stutters.

"Let's talk about this first," Jill says.

"Can we actually just leave before you-ahh," Bela says as he pulls her away from Jill.

"This is a test, do it now," he orders, waiting for her to shoot. "Too late."

She pulls her gun on him, Chuck and Bela staring at the two wide eyed.

"You're making a big mistake," Leader says.

Chuck grabs Bela's hand before running off, Leader punching Jill out before following.

"The Gravitron, are you serious!" Bela yells as he pulls her inside.

"Mister Bartowski, Miss Tiernan," Leader says, joining the two. "You need to come with me."

"Um, you told Jill to shoot us," Bela says slowly. "Why would we ever go anywhere with you."

"I'd rather not leave your bodies here on the ride, what if some kid saw it?" he says, Chuck's eyes widening as the ride doors close.

"Wow uh, that's strangely considerate of you," Chuck says before pressing the start button, the three of them being thrown against the walls as the ride starts spinning.

"Damn it, Chuck!" Bela cries.

"Bela, move!" Chuck yells, Leader crawling towards them.

"Are you insane!" she hisses before noticing Leader's movements. "Son of a bitch!"

They begin crawling, Chuck yelling as Leader climbs on his back before the ride stops, the three of them falling to the floor.

"Is he unconscious?" Bela asks, Chuck pulling her outside.

"Does it matter, let's go!" he yells.

"Why are we hiding in rides!" Bela growls as he pulls her into a funhouse.

"Guys, you have to trust me," Jill says, the two freezing as they reach the room full of mirrors.

"Jill?" Chuck yells.

"I'm not gonna hurt you," she says.

"Where are you?" Bela asks. "Jill, where are you, why are you doing this?"

"When did you join Fulcrum and why?" Chuck asks.

"I started at Stanford," she explains. "They sponsored a leadership seminar, after they told whatever job we wanted they got us. Made our dreams come true."

"Couldn't you get out?" Bela asks, still looking around.

"When someone controls every part of your life, you have to do what they say," she says. "After a while I found myself doing things I never thought I would've done but then it was too late."

"Too late for what?" Chuck asks. "Jill? Jill!"

"I'm impressed, Mister Bartowski, Miss Tiernan," Leader says. The two look around, panicked. "I wasn't really certain you were spies, but now I see."

Chuck makes a run for it before hitting a mirror, falling backwards before Bela helps him up.

"Come on," she urges, the two weaving through the mirrors.

"Goodbye," Leader says, facing the two as he cocks his gun.

Bela and Chuck squeeze their eyes shut, gripping each other's hands before a gun goes off.

"Huh?" Bela asks, opening one eye and seeing Jill in front of them and Leader on the ground.

"Quick," Jill says, taking their hands and pulling them along with her until they exit the ride.

"Don't move!" Sarah yells, a gun aimed at Jill.

"No, no, wait, wait, wait!" Chuck and Bela yell as Casey throws Jill to the ground, cuffing her. "Don't hurt her, she saved our lives!"

* * *

"It's gonna be alright," Chuck says, trying to calm Jill as she's strapped to a lie detector machine in the castle.

"Answer all of our questions with a yes or no," Sarah says, Chuck and Bela watching from the side.

"Okay," Jill breathes.

"Is your name Jill Roberts?" she asks.

"Yes," Jill answers, Chuck rolling his eyes at Sarah.

"Did you attend Stanford University?"

"Yes," she nods.

"Can I ask a follow up question?" Chuck interrupts.

"You're about to leave through that window," Casey threatens.

"I rescind my follow up question," Chuck says, Bela smiling at him lightly.

"Do you have a degree in molecular biology?" Sarah continues.

"Yes," Jill says.

"Are you a Fulcrum agent?"

"No-wait," she says, the machine showing a negative. "I'm sorry, telling the truth is new to me... yes. I am a Fulcrum agent."

She frowns, staring up at Bela and Chuck.

"Do you know the current whereabouts of your Fulcrum handler, codename Leader?" Sarah asks, becoming annoyed when she doesn't answer. "Do you know the current whereabouts of your Fulcrum handler-?"

"Yes," Jill interrupts.

"Give us the location now," Casey growls, Jill staring up at Bela. "Tell me now or I lose my calm."

"Jill, Jill, just tell-just tell him," Bela urges, pulling Casey back from her slightly. "Please just tell him."

"Okay, I'm not supposed to know this but Fulcrum has a mobile medical unit," she explains. "You'll find Leader recovering, in an office building in downtown Los Angeles."

"Is this a trap?" Sarah asks.

"No," Jill answers honestly.

Sarah nods at Casey before the two leave the room.

"We'll be back," Bela promises Jill before Chuck and her follow.

"Sarah, what about Jill?" he asks as Casey and her begin packing up equipment.

"I know what you're thinking, that Jill is the same person that you went to school with and the same person that you dated," she explains. "But we cannot be certain; trust me Chuck, you can't trust her."

"Back later, stay away from Jill," Casey says, quickly kissing Bela before leaving.

"Think they're gone?" Chuck asks after a moment.

"Uh huh, let's go," she says.

"Guys?" Jill asks as they walk back to her locked cell. Bela smiles half-heartedly as Chuck waves at her.

"Hey," he says as she waves back.

"Hey."

Bela types something into the computer before the doors slide open.

"We were just seeing if you needed a water or anything," Chuck says.

"No, I'm good," she says. "Are Casey and Sarah ready to start again?"

"Um, no, not just yet," Bela says as they sit down in front of Jill.

"But before they do I was wondering if I could maybe ask you a few things," Chuck says.

"Do you know how to work all this stuff?"

"Yeah, totally, we-uh read the manual," Bela grins, holding up a large book.

"You read a lie detector manual?" Jill laughs.

"No," Chuck says, shaking his head. "This is the manual for the entire castle base."

"Oh," Jill nods. "You read a manual for a base."

"Yeah, well uh, you know-we skimmed it," Bela shrugs.

"Would you-would you mind if I asked you a couple of questions?" Chuck asks.

"Go ahead," she smiles.

Bela sets up the equipment as Chuck takes a moment to think.

"Ready," she says, glancing at the two.

"Um, back at Stanford when we were dating, was that for real?" Chuck asks.

"Yes," Jill nods.

"True," Bela whispers.

"You really liked me?" he continues. "They were real emotions?"

"Yes," Jill says again.

"True."

"Okay, well then why did you sleep with Bryce right after I got kicked out of school?" he asks, Bela punching him in the arm.

"Chuck it has to be a yes or no question or it won't work," Jill sighs.

"Have you ever had sex with Bryce Larkin?" Bela asks, Chuck glancing at her before turning back to Jill.

"No," she answers, Bela and Chuck sighing in relief when it shows she's telling the truth.

"Finally, maybe after all these years you'll believe it," Bela smirks at Chuck.

"I never wanted to hurt you Chuck, ever," Jill says. "You were my first love."

"Do you think that when this is all over, we could try again?" he asks.

"Get me out of these," she begs.

Chuck and Bela quickly unstrap her before Bela steps back, waiting for the two in the hallway.

"Yes," Jill says before kissing him.

"Chuck," Bela says, staring at the machine. "Chuck, move away from her!"

"What?" he asks, Jill quickly beating Bela to the firearm on the table.

"Uh..." Chuck says, staring at the two as his phone rings.

"Answer it, tell them _nothing_," Jill says, holding the gun against Bela's head.

"Great, see you when you get back," Chuck says, hanging up the phone. "They have Leader, they're coming back now."

"I'm sorry," Jill says before pressing the gun against Bela's back. "Chuck, after you."

He nods, slowly walking into the main part of the castle as Jill pushes Bela forward.

"Both of you sit, and when they get here say _nothing_," Jill orders, Chuck and Bela sitting down in front of the main computer. "Here they come."

"Don't hurt them, please," Bela says, turning to her.

Jill sighs before nodding.

"Fine."

They watch as she moves back out into the hallway as Sarah and Casey open the door, the two exchanging glances as they make their way down the stairs with Leader.

"Chuck, Bela?" Sarah asks, staring at the two. "What's the matter?"

"You promised that you wouldn't hurt them," Bela says.

"Put the guns on the table, take the cuffs off now," Jill orders, holding a gun on both Casey and Sarah.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry, we let her out, it's our fault we're so sorry," Chuck says, turning around.

Sarah hands Casey her gun, and he sets them on the table before uncuffing Leader.

"Now, I believe we were headed to a holding area," he says, picking up the discarded weapons. "Show me the way."

"Just do what he says and you'll be okay," Jill says, setting a gun down on the table as Leader locks Casey and Sarah in a cell.

"What about the others?" Bela asks.

"Just do what he says."

"How could you do this Jill?" Chuck asks.

"It's complicated," she sighs.

"Listen, I know complicated okay?" Chuck says. "How could _you_ do this?"

"You did an excellent job my dear," Leader says, interrupting them.

"Show him the access screen for the joint intelligence database," Jill orders.

"Um, I'm sorry we don't know how to do that," Chuck says before Leader grabs Bela roughly, pressing a gun against her head.

"Do it now or I'll shoot," he threatens, Chuck quickly turning and typing into the computer. "Thank you, Chuck."

"This was all a trick, wasn't it?" Chuck asks. "I mean you guys just did all this just to get in here and access our computer. You let her shoot you."

"Devious, aren't we?" Leader says before pushing Bela towards Jill, pulling Chuck up out of his seat. "Move them."

"Jill, you're making a big mistake," Chuck says as she follows them down the hallway.

"Do what he says," she repeats.

"Why? Why, what is your boss searching for?" he asks, grabbing the castle manual behind his back. "I mean, what secret is worth this?"

"He's searching for someone," she says, unlocking the cell.

"Who?" Bela asks.

"Bryce Larkin," she says, pushing Chuck inside before reaching for Bela.

"No!" she yells. "What do you want with Bryce!"

"Bells, don't try and protect him we know he's CIA, he stole something from us," she says, Bela growling at this. "Get in the cell."

"No! You stay the hell away from Bryce!" she yells before Jill brings her arm up, the gun connecting with Bela's jaw and causing her to crumple in a heap on the ground.

"Bela!" Chuck yells, Casey growling from the cell opposite them as Jill tosses Bela inside with Chuck.

"She okay?" Casey asks, Chuck holding Bela in his arms.

"She's out cold," he says, staring at the bruise already forming on her skin.

"They're looking for the intersect," Casey says, eyes still on her.

"I'm sorry, Sarah," he says. "We should've listened to you."

He sits Bela down carefully before flipping through the castle manual.

"We'll figure something out," Sarah says.

"Actually, I have a plan," Chuck says.

"Hey, what are you doing?" Sarah asks as he starts playing with the control panel.

"It's the castle manual, I told you that's top secret," Casey growls.

"Yeah, I know," he says. "So am I."

He closes the book when he finishes before sitting back on the makeshift bed, gently moving Bela's head onto his lap.

"What did you do?" Leader asks as Jill and him stand outside his cell.

"Like I told Jill, I read the manual," he says.

"What did you do?" he repeats.

"Well, I locked you out of the computer system using the remote console that every room in castle is equipped with," Chuck explains. "It's in the manual. Unfortunately said manual is in here with me, and since I over road castle's primary controls, we're now safely locked within these bullet proof cells. Devious, aren't I?"

"I'll make one call and my men will be here in twenty minutes," Leader threatens.

"I'm so glad you brought that up, because I also activated the bases communications jammer," Chuck says. "So no calls out, I'm sorry about that. _And _because I triggered the CIA's trouble alarm, I think the cavalries gonna be here in ten minutes or so. The nerd in me really, really wants to say checkmate right about now. "

"Never say that," Leader says.

"Why?"

"'Cause you don't know who you're playing against," he says, pressing a small device onto Sarah and Casey's cell door. "These cells might be bulletproof, but they can't withstand that. The blast will kill them. But I'll bet your cell will be fine."

"Chuck, don't do anything!" Sarah orders.

"Stay in that cell, Bartowski!" Casey growls.

"Jill..."

"Just do what he says, Chuck," she sighs.

"Open the door, or your friends will die," Leader says, waiting before shrugging. "Goodbye, Mister Bartowski."

"Wait, wait, wait, wait!" Chuck yells, causing him to pause. "Alright."

They watch as he unlocks the cell.

"Now show me the way out of here," Leader says, grabbing Chuck's arm.

"Jill if you hurt him, I swear," Sarah threatens as Jill removes the explosive device before pausing as Bela stirs.

"Finally," Jill says, rolling her eyes before pulling her up roughly.

"Let her go," Casey growls, but Jill ignores him continuing to drag a stumbling Bela along with her.

"Why do you have the girl?" Leader asks, seeing Jill.

"Bells," Chuck says, running his eyes over at her. She rubs her head before staring up at him confused.

"She woke up, I had to," she explains.

"Fine, continue," he says, shoving Chuck forward as they follow.

He leads them down a series of different hallways before they climb a narrow set of stairs, Chuck opening a hatch in the Buy More floor.

"Go," Jill says, pushing Bela up as Chuck grabs her arm to steady her.

"You okay?" she asks as they wait for the others.

"Yeah, just a killer headache," she nods, Leader pushing them forward.

"Booby-trap," Chuck whispers, nodding at the floor. Bela sees it just in time, stepping over it as Leader catches his foot, falling over.

Jill aims her gun at the two.

"Drop it!" Sarah yells, Casey tackling Leader.

"Sarah, don't hurt her!" Chuck yells as she chases Jill.

"Idiot!" Bela hisses before they follow.

"Jill, Jill, hey, I can help you," Chuck whispers, snaking up behind her as she prepares to shoot Sarah.

"Come with us," Bela whispers. "Come on."

Jill turns, staring at them before nodding.

"What's going on?" she asks as they lead her outside. "What are we doing?"

"Look, you're taking the matrix okay?" Chuck explains, showing her the Nerd Herd cars. "All wheel drive, touch screen navi, iPod capability and a full tank of gas; it's the perfect getaway car."

"Just get in and drive as far as you can," Bela says, opening the door for her. "We won't call it in, I swear."

"Thank you," she says as Chuck leans again the window. "Come with me, we can still be together."

"How?" he asks.

"You and me, no secrets, no spies," she says. "Come with me, Chuck."

"No, I can't, I can't," he sighs. "I-look, obviously there's the whole opposites attract, chemistry thing that we have and I-it's just there's one small problem."

He steps back, pressing a button on the central locking remote.

"What are you doing, Chuck?" she asks as the Herder locks her inside, her hands being cuffed to the wheel. "What's going on, don't do this to me Chuck!"

"You should know we wanted to help you," he says, staring down at her. "We were gonna let you get away, but when you were about to kill Sarah, you made the decision for us."

"You're under arrest, Jill," Bela says.

"And I'm breaking up with you," Chucks says, walking away.

* * *

"Hey, what are you doing?" Casey asks, kneeling next to Bela as she sits up.

"I'm getting up," she smiles but he shakes his head, pulling the covers up over her.

"You're not going anywhere," he whispers.

"But Ellie's Thanksgiving... I'm always there," she sighs.

"Not this year," he says, crawling next to her. "You're staying right here."

"Casey..."

"Bela..." he warns, staring her down.

"I'm _fine_," she growls, standing up. He watches for any signs of dizziness before sighing, joining her.

"Take some aspirin at least," he says and she nods. "I'll wait for you downstairs."

She eyes his clothing before seeming satisfied.

"Okay."

"Jeans?" he asks, glancing at her as she makes her way into the lounge room.

"They're my good jeans," she shrugs, and he raises an eyebrow when she turns around.

"That's the shirt you're wearing... partly?" he asks and she rolls her eyes at him.

"What are you, the fashion police Casey? Damn," she says as he makes his way over to her.

He slides his hand around, resting it against the bare skin of her back.

"Are you ready?" he asks before she grabs a bottle of vodka.

"Now I am," she smirks.

He shakes his head, locking up as she waits for him outside.

"You feel dizzy at any point you tell me and we'll leave," he says, Bela rolling her eyes at this.

"Uh huh, sure thing," she says, knocking on the door before Chuck opens it. "Hey."

"Hey," he smiles, pulling her into a hug. "Are you feeling better?"

"Headache is gone, and I have vodka," she grins. "I'm feeling fantastic."

He chuckles, taking the bottle from her.

"Oh my god," Bela says, smiling uncomfortably. "Jeff and Lester are here."

"Do I have to be nice?" Casey asks, resting his hand against her back.

"Yes," she says as Ellie joins them.

"Happy Thanksgiving," she says, pulling Bela into a hug.

"Uhm... Jeff and Lester?" she asks, raising an eyebrow.

"The Awesome's couldn't make it so you know me, just expand Thanksgiving," she smiles, leading them to the table.

Bela takes a seat between Casey and Sarah, smiling at everyone.

"Toast! To, uh, some of the great uh faces that I know and some new ones to Thanksgiving," Chuck says, everyone raising their glass. "Alright."

"Happy Thanksgiving," Bela says, smiling at Casey.

He clinks his glass against hers, a smile breaking free as he leans over and kisses her.

* * *

A/N: Ahh the end of the Jill chapters... for now at least. Next we have Casey having to deal with someone from his past, and he takes advantage of his cover with Bela to do so. Next chapter will be out sometime after Christmas. Please review!


	23. Chuck vs The Sensei

A/N: Ahh, a Casey-centred chapter. Just what we need after all the escapades with Jill. Poor Casey has to deal with his past, and uses Bela in a very unprofessional way to get through it.

Sorry it's been so long guys. I have been super busy with work and travel, but things seem to be settling down for the meantime which means more updates! Thanks for all the reviews/favourites/alerts, it's very much appreciated!

* * *

"Guys, does the Global Launch Agency mean anything to you?" Sarah asks Chuck and Bela.

"Yeah, the GLA? Sure," Bela nods.

"They've sent probes to every planet except Pluto," Chuck adds. "Although Pluto is not officially a planet anymore, which really bums me out."

"It's true," Casey says. "Space camp is where all the cool kids go."

The two glare at him before Beckman interrupts.

"GLA also conducts top secret research for the NSA," she says. "Most of our surveillance and weapons tracking technology is developed there. We picked up Intel that someone might try to penetrate one of the labs secure facilities; I want you and the intersects to surveil the facility. See if there's anyone inside that either of you flash on."

"Another mission already?" Chuck asks.

"Is there a problem Mister Bartowski?" the General asks.

"No, no, no I was just, you know, kind of hoping for some down time," he sighs.

"Um, we'll take it from here ma'am," Sarah says, Beckman ending the link.

"Aw, need a little break Bartowski?" Casey asks.

"Yeah, that'd be nice," he says. "I mean finding out Jill was Fulcrum was a bit of a shock to the system, y'know. I guess I wouldn't mind some time to sort out my feelings."

"Sure thing, Chuck," Casey mocks. "I'll just call all the criminals and rogue spies and let 'em know to hold on a sec 'cause Chuck Bartowski needs some time to sort out his lady feelings."

"Ease up, Casey," Sarah says, Bela glaring at him from across the room. "Look, guys, we know how hard this has been for you but maybe a new mission is exactly what you need right now."

Chuck glances at Bela before sighing.

* * *

"Great, new mission in the surveillance van," Chuck deadpans.

"Very exciting," Bela yawns.

"You're on an open mic, guys," Sarah informs them.

"Are we? That's good to know," Bela nods. "Thanks for telling us that, uh, we have all the entrances and exits covered."

"Looks pretty quiet," Chuck adds.

"You're not seeing anything?" she asks.

"Nothing, no flashes, nothing," he says.

"I'm all clear, here," Sarah says.

"All clear," Casey says. "Security's tight."

"Should've bought food," Bela says, looking around the van.

"Are you serious?" Chuck asks, staring at her in disbelief.

"We missed lunch 'cause of this stupid mission," she says.

"Close the west lab doors!" Casey yells, the two turning to the screen.

"I'm in, I'm in, I'm in it's just gonna take a second," Chuck says, typing into the computer.

"Do it, do it!" Casey yells.

"Almost done, almost done, almost there," he continues.

"Now, Chuck, close it! Lock it down!" Casey growls.

"You know I don't know one person that responds positively to being yelled at," he says.

"He's getting away, Chuck, get Bela to do it!" he orders.

"Door closed, got it," Chuck says triumphantly. "There, see, hahaha."

"You idiot, you said you knew how to work the system," Casey growls, Bela quickly pushing him out of the way.

"Hold on, Casey," she says, quickly typing and getting the door opened. "Got it."

"How can you type so fast?" Chuck asks and she shrugs.

"It's a gift," she says as they watch the screens. "I think we should see if they're okay."

They nod, quickly climbing out of the van.

"Oh, no," Bela says after they flash on Ty Bennett, Casey's former sensei.

"Guys, hey, we just flashed on that dude!" Chuck says, the two of them joining Casey and Sarah. "And it is crazy; it's actually a small world funny story-"

"Save it," Casey growls. "His name's Ty Bennett. He was my Sensei. He taught me everything I know."

* * *

"You look exhausted," Chuck says, Bela dragging herself behind the Nerd Herd desk.

"I _am_ exhausted," she groans. "I barely got any sleep last night."

Chuck snickers at this.

"Oh hey, you're invited to dinner tonight," he says, quickly remembering. "Food sampling for the wedding."

"Food," she nods. "I'll be there."

"Hey," Casey says, pulling her up against him.

Chuck raises an eyebrow as they continue to kiss, Jeff and Lester even noticing and taking pictures on their phones.

"Humm, okay," Bela says as he pulls back.

"Cover," he shrugs before taking her hand. "Beckman's waiting."

* * *

"Ty Bennett, karate master, kung-fu expert, master strategist," Beckman explains. "A former instructor at our training facility, and today one of our most wanted rogue agents."

"Dude, your sensei is a bad ass!" Chuck says.

"He's not my sensei," Casey growls. "He's a traitor."

"Wow," Sarah says. "I've heard of Bennett, but I've never met anyone who actually trained with him."

"Well I can't talk about it, it's classified," he says.

"We're opening Bennett's file for this assignment, any personal knowledge you have could be vital to the success of this mission," the General says.

"Come on, Casey, share with us," Chuck taunts, Bela shaking his head at him.

"In hell," he hisses before turning to the screen. "General if I may, why wasn't I told that Bennett went rogue?"

"Ty Bennett has been recruiting his former students," she explains.

"He's actually turning agents?"

"With the team he's assembled, Bennett has been extremely effective at stealing weapons and reselling them on the black global market."

"What did he steal from the GLA?" Sarah asks.

"An advanced inertial guidance system," she says.

"Well that's not a weapon," Chuck says.

"Well it sure looks like one when it's put in a missile, moron," Casey growls.

"You know when you call me moron that hurts me, on the inside," Chuck says, Bela rolling her eyes at the two bickering.

"Bennett got away because you couldn't open a door, you're lucky your feelings are the only thing that got hurt," Casey growls.

"Technically we only have to sit in the van and flash," Chuck growls back.

"Hey!" Bela says, standing up and blocking Casey's view of Chuck. "Stop."

He calms down as he stares at her before turning back to the General.

"Gentlemen," she says. "We have Intel pinpointing the location where Bennett plans to transfer the GLA technology to his buyer. It's a construction site in Semibowing. I want you to stop the deal, and recover the guidance system."

"We're on it," Sarah nods.

"Yeah I wonder if it's safe for the intersects to go on this mission," Casey adds. "Too many unforeseeable variables. In situations like this they have proven themselves to be liabilities."

"I think you're right, Casey," Beckman agrees. "Chuck, Bela, you will be sitting this one out."

"Wait, you might need us to flash on something," Chuck interrupts.

"This country's gotten by two hundred years without an intersect I'm sure we'll be just fine," Casey says. "What, did I hurt your feelings?"

Bela turns to him as Beckman ends the link.

"Really, Casey!" she yells, glaring at him.

"Just looking out for your safety, sweetheart," he says and she growls.

"Son of a bitch," she mutters, storming up the stairs.

"Good luck, _Sarah_," Chuck says before following.

"What?" Casey shrugs as Sarah stares at him.

* * *

"I tried sparing your feelings," Emmett says, addressing the Buy More staff. "But the gloves are coming off, people. I've decided to reinstitute a time honoured Buy More tradition."

"Commando Wednesdays," Jeff whispers.

"That tradition never stopped," Lester whispers back, Chuck and Bela turning to the two.

"From this day on, this branch will hold-wait for it," Emmett continues. "An employee of the month contest! Isn't that exciting!"

"I can barely contain myself, sir," Morgan says, Bela holding back her laughter at this.

"I assume you're all aware of our customer comment cards," he says, holding them up. "Each month we will tally your score and select our winner. He, or she, or whomever, will not only get an eight by ten glossy photo right beside Moses Phinklestein, CEO and founder of Buy More. But there will be a bonus prize! May the best employee win."

"Uh, so how are we feeling about this whole employee of the month thing?" Morgan asks, turning to Chuck and Bela.

"Uh," Chuck says before seeing Sarah. "Uh you know what, whatever Morgan, I don't really care."

"We don't care, roger that," he nods before leaving.

"I need you. _Now_," Casey growls, grabbing Bela's arm.

"What did I tell you about grabbing me like that," she says, pulling her arm out of his grip as she follows him into the break room. "You're leaving your hand shaped bruises all over me."

He says nothing, pulling her against him once he's sure the room's empty.

"What's gotten into you today?" she asks, his hands sliding up under her skirt.

"Nothing, I just need you," he repeats, pulling her closer.

"Here? Really?" she asks, glancing at the door nervously. "Anyone could walk in."

"Bartowski will take care of it," he says, kissing down her neck.

"Chuck's out there?" she asks, frowning. "Right out there or down the hall further out there-mmm."

He shuts her up, his lips meeting hers before trailing down her neck again.

"Ohh!" she groans as he slides into her, her fingers digging into his back. "Mmm-Casey..."

"We got about five minutes," he says and she laughs at this.

"That's some god awful dirty talk-ah!" she cries out as he grabs her hips, pulling her closer. "Damn Casey, a little warning!"

"Sorry," he smirks, kissing her deeply to cover her screams as they finish.

She catches her breath, quickly adjusting her clothing as he pulls back.

"Huh, hmm, okay," she says, standing up. "That was a little spur of the moment, don't you think?"

"Gotta go, mission," he says, kissing her again before leaving the room.

She stares after him before quickly following.

"Casey!" she yells, Chuck and Sarah turning to the two.

"We've gotta go, Walker," he says on his way past.

"I'll see you later," Sarah says, kissing Chuck lightly before waving bye to Bela.

"What just happened?" Chuck asks, staring at her flushed expression. "Oh, Bells, not where we eat!"

"I have no idea what just happened," she says, shaking her head.

* * *

"Hello," Chuck says, answering Bela's phone.

"Put my girlfriend on the phone, moron," Casey growls, Chuck frowning at this.

"She's with a customer."

"Fine, you'll do," he continues. "We just sent her an image of a van, take a look at the plates and see if you flash on anything."

"Yeah, of course, whatever I can do to help," he says before going through Bela's messages. "You know, she doesn't have it yet, it's probably a high resolution photo and her 3G connection gets interference in here sometimes."

"Spare me the Nerd Herd crap, get on it," Casey orders. "It's Intel we need it now!"

"Hey! I thought you said the US Government had got by just fine for two hundred years without the intersect."

"Listen you insignificant little puke, you-"

Chuck laughs as he hangs up on Casey as Bela joins him.

"That took forever," she sighs, smiling politely as the customer she was just with walks past. "But I made a sale... and you have my phone."

"Sorry, it rang," he says, quickly handing it back to her. "You might wanna give Casey a call. Nowish."

"What did you do?" she asks, quickly hitting speed dial.

"Did you hang up on me?" he asks slowly.

"Casey, it's me," she explains, shaking her head at Chuck in disbelief.

"Great. We just sent you a photo, see if you flash on the plates on the van," he says and she quickly looks at the photo before showing it to Chuck.

"No, nothing, sorry," she says.

He grunts before hanging up.

"Well don't get pissy at me," she growls at her phone before tossing it back on the Nerd Herd desk.

"I can't believe you hung up on him!" she says, turning to Chuck. "They're on a mission, Chuck!"

"I know, I know," he sighs as she joins him behind the desk.

"Maybe you should give each other some space," she suggests, thinking this over. "I may join you when you do."

He laughs at this, glancing at her.

"Just tell him no," he says, patting her on the head.

"I love sex, I'm not gonna refuse it," she says, rolling her eyes at him.

"Excuse me, can you tell me where I can find John Casey?" Ty Bennett asks, walking up to them. "I have something that belongs to him."

"Uh, John Casey you say? John Casey?" Bela asks, slowly sliding her phone out of her pocket. "You know, we're gonna go out back and check on that for you."

She slowly slides the phone to her ear as Chuck and her move away from the desk.

"Voicemail, awesome," she says, rolling her eyes. "So Casey, guess who's at the Buy More? Yeah, your buddy Ty Bennett. So call us back _very_ quickly okay? Like now would be a perfect time. Okay. Bye."

She turns back around before frowning.

"Where'd he go?" Chuck asks, looking around.

They scan the store before freezing as they see Ty talking to Morgan.

"Crap," Bela mutters before rushing over. "Huh, hi, sorry, sorry, we just checked into it sir and John Casey is unfortunately not working today and I don't know when he's gonna be back in, but you can try back next week? Uh, maybe Tuesday-ish."

"Thank you," Ty says.

"You're welcome," Bela says, smiling nervously.

"That guy is awesome!" Morgan says, standing up between Bela and Chuck. "Guys did you see what he did with this can, he did this with his bare hands! He went crrrrrsh like that, could you imagine what he could do to a guys face!"

They stare down at the flat can before quickly walking back to the Nerd Herd desk.

"So what do you think, we follow him?" she asks, glancing at Chuck.

"Sure, why not," he nods, the two going outside.

"Wanna give Casey a call and let them know?" she asks, handing him her phone. "He'll answer, it's my number."

"Not feeling very chatty right now," Casey growls, answering his phone.

"Hold on Casey, don't hang up," Chuck says. "We're looking right at your Sensei."

"Bennett's at the Buy More!"

"Was, _was_ at the Buy More now he's in the Large Mart parking garage, we're tailing him," Chuck explains.

"No, stop imbecile, you're no match for him don't be an idiot!" Casey growls.

"Look you're only reacting like this because your own feelings were hurt, okay," Chuck says. "Please don't lash out at me... Bells, where'd he go? Oh God!"

He drops her phone as he turns to see Ty behind him, his hand covering Bela's mouth.

"Get in the trunk," he says, waiting for Chuck to climb in.

"I'm a little tall for something like this, is there another seating option perhaps?" Chuck asks before Ty pushes Bela in beside him.

"There's no way this is gonna work," she says before flinching as the trunk slams shut. "Great."

"Oh no," Chuck says as the car starts. "Oh no, oh man, oh no."

"I'm getting very sick of being thrown in car trunks with other people," she mutters, trying not to squirm against Chuck as the car goes faster.

"No offense, but I'd rather be in here with Sarah," he says, his hands quickly holding her as the car moves around a corner.

"I'd rather her be here instead of me, too," she jokes before wincing as she bangs her face into the back. "Son of a bitch!"

"You okay?" Chuck asks his back slamming into the wall. "Ouch."

"Damn it," she whispers, the car's engine revving. "Oh this is gonna hurt."

She hits the back of the trunk face first again as Ty puts his foot on the accelerator.

"Sorry," Chuck says, trying not the squash her as the car skids before coming to a sudden halt.

"At least we stopped," Bela says before sighing in relief as Sarah opens the trunk. "Oh, thank God."

"Actually more spacious in here than you might think," Chuck says as they climb out.

"Uh, Bela, you're uh, there's, your nose is bleeding," Sarah says, wincing.

Bela frowns before wiping her upper lip, her fingers coming back red.

"Damn it!" she hisses, Chuck handing her a tissue. "Thanks."

* * *

"So Bennett got away; again," Beckman says. "If you don't mind me asking, where were the intersects during all of this?"

"Well, technically we were in Bennett's trunk, hence the bloody nose," Chuck says, gesturing at Bela. She glares at him, her arms crossed as she sat there with tissues up her nose. "So we didn't actually see anything that happened but it sounded very exciting."

"So Major, while you were playing your game of chicken the intersects were in Bennett's trunk?" Beckman asks, annoyed.

"As soon as we ascertained the intersects' location, Major Casey disengaged," Sarah says.

"Sounds like Bennett has decided to make this personal, Casey, and so have you," the General says. "I'm pulling you off the case."

"With all due respect-"

"This is why I didn't tell you about Bennett, I knew you would turn it into a vendetta," she says. "I am bringing in another team to clean up your mess."

"But I know Bennett, I know how he operates," Casey continues.

"You're forgetting your primary objective is protecting the intersects," she says. "You will remain in castle until the mission is completed. Consider it a cooling off period."

"You little-" Casey growls, glaring at Chuck once Beckman ends the link.

"I didn't know this was gonna happen! I didn't this was-tell him I didn't know this was gonna happen!" Chuck says, moving away as Casey stalks towards him.

"If my primary objective wasn't to protect you, I'd kill you," Casey growls, scruffing Chuck by the tie.

"Casey," Bela says, resting her hand on his arm.

He turns to her before inhaling, slowly releasing Chuck.

"Don't follow us," he says, pulling her down the hallway.

"What are you-where are we going?" she asks as he pulls her into a room before locking the door. "Huh."

She eyes the cot before turning to him.

"Can I at least take these freakin' tissues out?" she asks.

"And have you start bleeding again?" he asks, shaking his head. "Uh uh."

"I'm fine," she growls, holding the material against her nose. "It's nearly stopped, see?"

"Just don't bleed on me," he says, turning her around before bending her over the cot.

"This makes me feel real special," she says, leaning on her elbows.

He chuckles at this before flipping her skirt up.

* * *

"Your phone," Chuck says, holding it up for Bela.

She quickly takes it from him before switching it off.

"Uh, okay, is there something you want to talk about?" he asks, glancing at her.

"Nothing, I'm fine," she lies before sighing as he swivels her chair around to face him.

"Why are you ignoring Casey's calls?" he asks.

"Because he is breaking me, Chuck," she stresses. "There is only so much I can handle and this is like-this is like a freakin' honeymoon that won't end!"

"I thought you loved sex," he smirks and she growls.

"In moderation, not every freakin' five minutes!" she hisses, Chuck's phone now ringing.

"Should I?" he asks before she snatches it from him.

"Hello, Casey," she says, her eyes on Chuck. "He's busy, how can I help?"

"Is he mad?" Chuck whispers, Bela shushing him quickly.

"I'm really busy now, too, there's customers lined up as far as-" she starts before sighing. "I think your surveillance cameras are wrong-fine, I'll be there in five."

She hangs up, tossing Chuck his phone angrily.

"You gave in," he chuckles before she grabs him by the tie.

"Can't give in if I bring you with me," she says, the two moving out from behind the Nerd Herd desk.

"Just don't start doing things in front of me, it makes me uncomfortable," he says and she narrows her eyes at him.

"Really? 'Cause I always thought you were kind of a pervert," she says before explaining. "Y'know, 'cause you walked in on Bryce and me at least once a week at Stanford."

"It was my room, too!" he protests. "And you two never stopped!"

"Oh we did, too," she says, opening the door to castle. "We had exams at some point."

"Bela!" Casey yells as they make their way down the stairs.

"God, he's gonna split me in two," she groans before turning to him. "Hey..."

He wraps his arm around her before pulling her towards the computers.

"Ouch, okay, what are we-what are you doing?" she asks, Chuck following closely.

"This," he says, pressing her thumb down on the fingerprint recognizer before gripping her head. "Now, intersect, flash."

"Oh you did not just call me that!" she yells, struggling in his grip before her eyes lock onto a folder on the screen. "Okay, okay, nineteen nineteen Mulholland Drive; it's a martial arts dojo but also a cover for Bennett's illegal activity."

"Good work, intersect," he says, releasing her.

She glances at Chuck before turning to him.

"Go screw yourself," she spits at him before making her way to the stairs.

"Hold up, need those pretty eyes of yours," he says, grabbing her arm and pulling her up with him.

"Casey-Casey, what are you doing?" Chuck asks, following the two.

"Casey, what has gotten into you? What is going on?" Bela asks as the doors open, letting them out into the Orange Orange. "Chuck, call Sarah."

"You know what, sweetheart?" he asks, taking her hand in his. "I'm very, very sorry."

"For what this time?" she asks, staring up at him warily as he leans towards her.

"This," he says, handcuffing Chuck and her together, the chain hooked under a bar on the counter.

He takes their phones and keys, sitting them across the room and out of their reach.

"This fake relationship is over!" Bela calls after him before turning to an amused Chuck. "Shut up."

* * *

"Can you stop eating our rope?" Chuck growls, snatching the gummy snakes away from Bela.

"But I'm hungry," she protests, watching as he moves as close as he can to the table currently holding their belongings. "Who puts gummy worms in their frozen yoghurt anyway?"

"Yes!" he grins before turning to her incredulous. "You made Sarah order those gummy worms-for you! For _your_ frozen yoghurt."

"Just call Ellie, Chuck," she says, glaring at him. "Make up a good excuse for me, too."

He rolls his eyes at her before sighing in relief as Sarah answers the phone.

"Sarah-Sarah thank God," he says. "Listen, um, Casey threatened Bela and me so technically we can't tell you."

"Tell her to come uncuff us," Bela urges.

"Well, you could guess though, you could guess!"

"You're such an idiot," she groans, glaring at him.

"Just guess! I'll tell you if you're hot or _cold_ and FYI this place is very cold, it's practically frozen," he explains. "Bingo! Yes, you're amazing! Wow, that's very impressive how did you-?"

"Finally, freedom," Bela sighs.

"You didn't hear this from me, but nineteen nineteen Mulholland Drive," he continues. "No, no, not until you get down here with the keys and get us out of these handcuffs!"

"Is she heading straight over?" she asks as Chuck puts down his phone. "What?"

"She's not coming," he says, turning to her. "She's going to get Casey, and we have to stay here."

"Are you kidding me!" she yells, pulling at the cuffs. "That's it, I'm gonna break my thumb."

"Bela, stop-stop!" Chuck says, taking her hand.

"Do you have a better idea?" she asks.

"Actually, yes," he says, nodding towards the freezer controls. He grabs the freezing agent, spraying it carefully on the chain between them. "Hit it with the scoop."

Bela stares at him warily before grabbing a topping scoop from the bench and hitting the chain with it.

"Those seven years of MacGyver finally paid off, hey?" she jokes, staring down at the broken chain. "Let's go."

* * *

"So, there's guards everywhere," Bela says, staring out of the Herder as Chuck pulls up outside Bennett's dojo.

"Maybe we can somehow get around them," Chuck says before the two look up at the knocking on the window.

"Oh crap," Bela says, staring at the gun. "Um, computer emergency?"

"Get out of the car," the man says the two quickly obeying. "This way, now."

They follow, exchanging worried glances the entire way.

"Wait here," he says.

"At least we got inside?" Bela says, smiling lightly.

Chuck shakes his head at her before they both turn towards the door.

"We were waiting in the car," Chuck says, Casey and Sarah staring at the two. "I swear."

"Bang up job, you two," Casey growls.

"Don't even talk to me," she hisses before they're pushed forward.

"Hello John, and friends," Ty greets them. "This is unfortunate."

"No matter where you run, where you hide, I'm gonna be there," Casey smirks. "Waiting."

"Casey, careful," Sarah warns.

"Always so proud, so righteous John," he says before one of his men hands him a gun. "But, I have business to attend to-can't have you interfering."

"Thought you were a man of honor?" Casey says as Ty aims the gun at him. "I'm not good enough to make your team; surely you could defeat me without the gun _with _honor."

"You're right," he agrees as the others are moved out of the way. "My students, this is a special lesson; how to kill a man with honor. It will happen _very_ quickly."

"Oh, God," Bela whispers, staring up at them. "Casey-"

"Shut up," he says, keeping his eyes on Bennett.

"Okay, that's creepy," Chuck says as the students start banging their hands against the floor.

"Oh God, oh my God," Bela says as Casey gets his ass kicked.

"We're in trouble, aren't we?" Chuck asks, glancing at Sarah.

"You lost your calm, John!" Ty yells as Casey lies on the ground. "Your centre is filled with conflict."

"That's it," Chuck whispers as Bela leans over Casey.

"Run for it, go," he says, staring up at her.

She shakes her head as Chuck joins them.

"Get her out of here, Chuck," he says, Bela still refusing to move. "She's damaging my calm!"

"You're staying, Bells," Chuck whispers in her ear. "The more danger you're in, the angrier he gets; that's how he can beat Bennett."

She stares at him before glancing back at Casey.

"Okay," she nods, moving back.

"Don't do anything," Chuck says to Sarah as she looks at them confused.

"Let him go!" Bela yells, standing up quickly.

"Bela!" Casey growls as one of Ty's men grab her roughly, pressing a gun against her head. "Let her go. _Now_."

"Casey, Casey, no-not at him," Chuck says before pointing at Bennett. "Him."

Casey growls, turning to Bennett before launching at him.

"Oh thank God," Bela whispers as Casey finally begins kicking his ass.

"Nice work, sensei," Sarah says.

"Yeah, well the thing is Casey doesn't really have a calm centre," Chuck explains. "It's more of an angry centre."

"There he is," Casey says, standing over Ty. "There's your sensei, take a good look at him. Who's next?"

"Whoo!" Chuck cheers, the man holding Bela quickly releasing her.

"Who called Beckman?" Casey growls as the room fills with an FBI team.

"What?" Chuck asks before shrugging. "It's not our fault-she guessed!"

* * *

"Well, thanks for saving my life today guys," Chuck says, mimicking Casey.

"Anytime Casey, yeah you know what? You're our friend," Bela says, the two ignoring Casey behind them.

"Yeah you know what? You're my friends, too," Chuck continues gruffly.

"Well that's really kind of you, Casey," Bela says. "Have a good night."

"Thank you," Casey says quietly, the two quickly turning to face him.

"What now?" Bela asks.

"You said something didn't you, you said something-you said something!" Chuck says. "We heard that."

"I'll see you later," Bela says, smiling at Chuck before following Casey inside.

"Thought you were staying with Walker tonight," he says, throwing his stuff down before grabbing two beers from the fridge.

"I was," she nods, taking one from him. "But then you said thank you."

He pulls her against him, his hands pulling her skirt down quickly.

"Can we not tonight, please?" she whispers, pulling away from him. He looks at her confused before realization hits him.

"I've been using you to vent, I'm sorry," he sighs. "Are you sore? Did I hurt you?"

"I'll heal," she says, smiling up at him. He slowly pulls her shirt off, cursing at the hand prints on her hips.

"Jesus Bela, why didn't you say something!"

"You were upset, Casey," she says, resting her hand on his arm. "Look, it's okay-"

"It's not okay, look at what I've done to you!" he growls. She grabs the back of his neck, pulling him down to her and kissing him forcefully.

"I will heal," she says sternly. "If you were too much for me, I would have stopped you when it was happening, alright?"

He nods, pulling her to him gently.

She pulls back, frowning as she stares up at him.

"You look worse than me," she says, resting her hand against his cheek as she stares at the bruises and the tissue stuffed up his nose. "Maybe we should take it easy tonight."

"Sleep?" he asks, staring down at her.

"You read my mind," she grins, following him up stairs.

* * *

A/N: Ahh, so Bela damages Casey's calm-who'd have thought? Next chapter Sarah's dad shows up, and needs a little help from the team. Please review!


	24. Chuck vs The DeLorean

A/N: Thanks for all the reviews and everything, they're all amazing. Alright, so this chapter the team meet Sarah's dad and help him with a "mission" of his own.

* * *

"You're not doing it right," Casey says, smirking at Bela on the ladder above him as she ties up the auto audio install sign. She glares down at him, gripping the pliers as he returns his eyes to her skirt.

"I know what I'm doing," she growls as Chuck joins them. "And I know what _you're_ doing."

"Hey-hey guys, what-whoa!" Chuck says, glancing up at Bela and getting an eyeful.

"Eyes on the ground, Bartowski," Casey growls, pushing him away as she climbs down.

"Don't take it personally, he did the same to Jeff and Lester," she shrugs, turning to him. "Several times."

"So uh, ready for the big mission tonight?" Chuck asks.

"What mission?" Casey growls, Bela staring at them confused.

"No you don't have to play games, okay? I know," he says. "You and Sarah, super secret mission."

"Since when?" Bela asks, frowning.

"There's no mission," he explains. "She's taking a personal day."

"I didn't realise we got personal days," Chuck says.

"You don't, we do," he says, Bela grabbing his arm.

"Really?" she asks slowly.

"You will have a personal day when I have a personal day," he says, resting his hand on her back.

"Ha, so never," she says.

"So any idea what she's up to?" Chuck asks.

"Yep."

"Well?"

"It's personal," he smirks, leaving the two standing there.

"Let me, uh, try," Bela says, smiling at Chuck before following him.

"Casey," she says, grabbing his arm as she passes him.

"This isn't gonna work," he grins as she pulls him along.

"What? I just need help with an audio install," she whispers as he follows her.

"You need help?" he asks sceptically. He knew full well she knew her way around a car.

"So maybe not with the install, but something else..."

"There are a lot of windows in here," he says, watching as she slowly moves toward him.

"And?"

"Hmm," he growls, pulling her against him.

"So, personal day?" she whispers, pressing up against him.

"It's personal," he says again, his lips covering hers. She growls, her hands quickly unbuttoning her shirt before stepping back from him, his eyes moving just where she planned.

"Personal how?" she asks, smiling up at him. He chuckles, pulling her to him as his lips move to her ear.

"Personal," he whispers before pulling back and walking out of the room.

"Son of a bitch!" she yells, quickly buttoning up her shirt.

"Did he tell you?" Chuck asks, walking in.

"No," she growls, crossing her arms across her chest.

"Then I need to borrow your car," he says.

"No! Take a Herder," she says, turning towards the car behind her.

"They're all being reupholstered," he says, shaking his head at her confused look. "Trust me, you don't want to know."

"I don't let anyone drive my car," she says slowly.

"Then come with me, you know what I want to do anyway," he sighs and she shakes her head.

"Uh uh, the minute I'm gone Casey will know and either tell Sarah or drag us back himself," she says before sighing.

He watches as she slowly reaches into her pocket, carefully taking out her car keys.

"One scratch... one _anything_ and I will kill you," she threatens before tossing them to him.

"You have no idea how perfect you are for Casey," he teases before turning at the look on her face. "Thanks, Bells! I owe you!"

* * *

"Hey, where's Bartowski?" Casey asks, startling Bela.

"Ellie called him, she needed his help at home," she lies, ignoring him as he leans against the car she was sitting in.

"How's the install going?" he asks, watching her work.

"Great," she says, raising an eyebrow as he climbs in next to her.

"I'm working, Casey," she says.

"Maybe I just want to watch you work," he shrugs, the two looking up as Big Mike walks in.

"John! Enough chit chat with your girlfriend, I need you on the floor," he growls before leaving again.

"Don't kill Big Mike," Bela teases, quickly kissing Casey before turning her attention back to the install. "Have fun."

He growls, climbing out of the car before leaving her alone.

* * *

"What are we doing?" Bela asks, joining Chuck and Sarah in castle with Casey. "Do we have a mission?"

"Walker's reporting to the General," he shrugs.

She stares up at him warily. He knew more, but wasn't going to tell her.

"General in the spirit of full disclosure, my father has conned sheik Rajiv Amad out of nearly a million dollars," Sarah explains.

"Hit the big time," Casey says, letting out a low whistle.

"Give the order and I'll bring him in," she continues.

"What?" Bela asks, confused.

"You're gonna arrest your own father? Isn't that kind of a conflict of interest?" Chuck asks.

"If Agent Walker's uncomfortable I'd be happy to make the arrest," Casey offers, Bela elbowing him in the side as she shakes her head.

"No one is getting arrested," Beckman interrupts. "Yet. Amad's been on the CIA's terror watch list for years, he's suspected of funding terrorist regimes in Afghanistan and Kenya. We have no recent photos and he goes by many different aliases; any information your father could provide about the sheik's financial holdings would be valuable Intel."

"General, my father is unaware of my CIA career and in fact I'm not sure he would be all that proud," Sarah says.

"No one is asking you to compromise your cover, Agent Walker," Beckman says. "Just talk to your father, take an intersect with you. Casey and one of the intersects will get the night off."

"What?" Bela asks quickly.

"General, my father is-"

"Your father conned a very connected, very dangerous man," the General interrupts. "You'd better find out how deep he's in before the sheik does."

"So, your father's in town?" Bela asks, breaking the silence after Beckman ends the link.

Sarah glances at her before nodding, quickly leaving the room.

"Night off?" she asks, a smile spreading across her face. "We get a night off?"

"You've had plenty of nights off, don't get so excited," Casey says, sliding his hand across her back. "Plus, Walker may want to take you and not Bartowski-wouldn't blame her."

"Hey!" Chuck protests.

"No, no, no, Chuck is going, right?" she asks, staring at him hopefully. "You're going, right Chuck?"

"It's up to Sarah," he shrugs.

"Sarah!" Bela yells, quickly making her way down the hallway.

"You don't think Sarah will take Bela, do you?" Chuck asks, Casey glaring at him. "So I'm gonna go back to the Buy More… now."

* * *

"Sarah was just bluffing with Beckman right, I mean she'd never arrest her own father," Bela says, following Casey as he restocks the DVDs.

"Why not? The guy's a criminal," Casey says. "He's been in and out of jail her whole life."

"He-but he seems to care though, at least he's attempting to have a relationship," she says as Chuck joins the two.

"We talking about Sarah?" he asks. "'Cause I've got some thoughts."

"I'll let you two hash it out," Casey says, walking away.

"How thoughtful," Chuck says, rolling his eyes as Bela smiles at him. "Why are you so happy?"

"Night off," she beams.

"So long, guys," Morgan says, interrupting the two. "We had a good run, didn't we?"

"Stuff of legend," Chuck says. "Where are you headed?"

"Adulthood," Morgan says, Bela holding back her laughter at this. "Anna and I are moving in together."

"Really, that's fantastic!" Bela grins.

"Congratulations buddy," Chuck nods.

"Yeah, I guess," Morgan sighs, walking away. "Enjoy your youth, Charles. Enjoy every damn minute of it."

"What about my youth?" Bela asks, slowly turning to Chuck.

"He thinks you've moved in with Casey," he explains. "You have no more youth."

"Oh," she says, frowning. "That's awesome, then."

* * *

"This is how you're spending your night off?" Casey asks, staring at Bela in disbelief.

She was lying down in the bath, her head peeking up over the bubbles as one of her hands held a beer at the side of the tub.

"I'm relaxing," she says, smiling up at him.

"And drinking," he notes.

"Oh it's one beer," she scoffs, taking a sip as he lifts up the towel next to the bath revealing a half empty six pack of beer. "So I could've hidden that better."

"Where are the empties?" he asks slowly.

She bites her lip, slowly reaching into the water with her other hand before picking up an empty bottle.

He shakes his head, waiting for her to hand him the other empty bottle.

"What are you doing?" she asks as he makes his way to the door.

"Going to spend my night off doing something that I want to do," he says, and she purses her lips as he leaves.

"Enjoy the documentaries!" she calls after him.

* * *

"General, I'd like to apologise for last night Chuck never should have gotten caught up in my father's ridiculous con," Sarah says.

"I recommend we place _both_ intersects in protective lockdown 'til we're sure the sheik is out of the country," Casey adds.

"And waste the perfect set up?" the General asks.

"I'm not sure I follow," Sarah says, confused.

"The CIA has been trying to locate the hidden bank accounts of the Amad family for years," Beckman explains. "If you can convince him to wire you the funds, we can access those accounts and freeze them."

"Uh, funds for what?" Sarah asks.

"The building," she says. "It will need to be at least ten million dollars to access his international accounts."

"General," Casey says slowly. "Is the agency asking us to commit fraud?"

"No, that would mean the CIA has some knowledge of your mission," she says.

"How are we supposed to sell a sixty storey building in one day?" Sarah asks.

"Ask your father," Beckman suggests. "He seems to be very proficient in his chosen profession."

* * *

"Did you have a good night off?" Chuck asks, yawning as he glances across at Bela.

"I had a bubble bath," she grins. "And downed a six pack of beer."

"Was Casey not home?" he asks, confused.

"Oh no, he was home," she nods. "He was watching documentaries all night."

"What?" Chuck laughs.

"Yeah, I know," she smirks. "But we kept to ourselves last night; had a night off from each other."

"Morgan was right," he says, shaking his head. "You have lost your youth."

"Shut up!" she laughs, hitting him lightly in the arm before picking up her phone.

"Casey?" he asks and she nods.

"We're needed at the Orange Orange," she says, quickly signalling to Jeff and Lester. "We're taking lunch, you guys man the desk."

"What are we doing-do we have a mission?" Chuck asks as they make their way across the car park.

"He just said for us to get to the Orange Orange asap," she shrugs as he holds open the door for her. "Thanks."

"What a gentleman," Casey scoffs as the two join him, Bela walking straight past him and immediately helping herself to a container of frozen yoghurt.

"We got more gummy worms," Sarah says, walking inside with her father. "Top drawer."

Bela grins, grabbing a couple before tossing them in her container.

"You should weigh far more than you do," Casey notes, watching her eat.

"Funny," she says, glancing up as Sarah nods at the three, her father studying them carefully.

"Jack Burton," he says, introducing himself to her.

"Bela Tiernan," she smiles, Casey glaring at the two.

"He's got a cop face," Jack says, gesturing at Casey who grunts. "No offence."

"Look, either he's in or none of us are," Sarah says.

"Fine, but he's your problem," he says before turning to the others. "Alright, Sarah and I will handle the deal, cop face-you're security and darling you can greet the men, make sure they go straight from the entrance to our office."

She nods before turning to Casey.

"We could switch names if you'd like, I could be cop face and you can be darling," Bela teases.

"We'll use our account number for the wire transfer," Casey says, handing him a card. "Don't trust ya. No offence."

"Uh, question what about me?" Chuck asks. "I mean I'm familiar with Hogan's Heroes and Castle Wolfenstein but beyond that my German is a little rusty."

"Schnook, your job is gonna be toughest of all, you need to sit there and not say a word," Jack explains, Sarah winking at Chuck over his shoulder.

* * *

"Building's been evacuated," Casey says, Bela staring down in annoyance as she adjusts her jacket. "What?"

"I hate suits," she mutters, gasping as he grabs her hands.

"Try and be professional, huh?" he says, kissing her lightly before releasing her.

"Yeah, yeah," she says, straightening up as a car pulls up outside.

"They're here," Casey says into his walkie talkie as they make their way into the building. "Showtime."

"This way," Bela smiles, guiding the men to the elevators. "You're here to see Mr. Lichtenstein?"

Amad nods and she quickly moves out of the way as the doors slide open.

"After you," she smiles, glancing at Casey before following them inside. She keeps the smile plastered on her face as they ride up to the correct floor, nodding at the men as the doors open.

"I'll take you to his assistant," she says, the men following closely as she leads them to Sarah. "For Mr. Lichtenstein."

Sarah nods at her before continuing her phone call.

"Excuse me," Bela says, smiling at the men before making her way back to the elevators. She smiles as Jack invites the men into another room, Sarah winking at her before the elevator doors close.

"How'd it go?" Casey asks as Bela joins him again.

"It's going great so far," she says, looking up as Casey concentrates on his earpiece. "What?"

"Sounds like Colonel Clink," he says, shaking his head before Bela clears her throat. The building management was returning. "We got company, time to wrap it up."

She frowns as he puts down the walkie talkie.

"Have they done the transfer yet?" she asks and he shakes his head. "Damn it."

"They'd better do it soon, and fast," he says, glancing at her chewing on her lip. "Stop it."

She looks up at him before stopping.

"Hey, what's going on what happened?" Bela asks as the others join them.

"We got it, let's go," Sarah says, glancing back at the elevators. "Quickly."

* * *

"To Lichtenstein!" Jack grins as Casey pops the cork on a champagne bottle. "Well, you pulled it off kid. You made me a believer."

"Well, my German's a little rusty but-" Chuck starts as Casey finishes pouring everyone drinks.

"No, no," Jack interrupts, nodding at Sarah. "That you two are a couple."

Bela screws her face up at the taste of the champagne before sitting her drink down.

"For later, cop face," Jack says, sliding a cigar into Casey's jacket pocket.

"Victory smoke, nice," he says.

"You did good, babe," Jack says, kissing Sarah on the cheek.

"So did you," she smiles.

"I'm gonna go get some ice," he says, grabbing the bucket before making his way out of Sarah's apartment.

"Well, I'm not one to say I told you so but I think that worked out pretty good now didn't it?" Chuck smiles.

"Guess he pulled through for me," Sarah shrugs, smiling wide. "This one time."

"Yes, General?" Casey says, answering his phone. "Mission accomplished, the money was transferred to the CIA account about an hour ago."

Casey slowly frowns, turning to the others.

"Beckman never got the money," he says, Sarah quickly running out of the room.

"The laptop is gone," Bela says, opening the briefcase on the bed.

"So is my cigar," Casey growls.

* * *

"I don't see why you get the day off," Bela frowns, watching Casey load his weapons as she sat cross legged on the table. "You're meant to have the same shifts as me."

"Buck up, sweetheart," he teases.

"You're alone?" General Beckman asks, her image coming up on the computer.

"Uh, sorry would you like me to leave?" Bela asks, glancing up at her.

"No, you can stay," she says before turning to Casey. "We've tracked down Jack Burton; he checked into a downtown motel under the alias Guido Merkins."

"I understand the sensitivity of the situation," Casey nods. "I'll go alone."

"Agent Casey," Beckman adds. "Tell Agent Walker I'm sorry."

"Roger that," he nods as she ends the link.

"You're going now?" Bela asks, standing up as he grabs his bag.

"Uh huh," he says before following her up the stairs. "Don't tell Bartowski or Walker about this; I mean it."

"Fine," she sighs, resting her hand on his chest as he kisses her.

"Have fun at work," he smirks before leaving.

* * *

"Sweet, lovely Bela," Morgan says, his arm going around her shoulders with great difficulty as he stares up at her.

"What is it?" she snorts.

"I, uh, need to borrow some money or Chuck's future brother in law is gonna pluck me from head to toe," he explains.

"How much are we talking?" she asks.

"Uh, not too much," he shrugs. "Twenty five hundred?"

"Morgan, you know how long it took me to save for my _own_ car," Bela says, shaking her head. "What makes you think I have that much lying around?"

"Point taken," he says before turning to Chuck. "Buddy?"

"Yeah, just let me see how much I have first," he says, making his way into the break room.

"How is the DeLorean going, anyway?" Bela asks as they follow.

"It's like a dream," he says before frowning. "A slow, nightmarish dream."

"That's what you get for buying a crappy car," she teases as Chuck swipes his card.

"Take that back-Chuck, tell her to take that back!"

"Do you mind?" Chuck asks, glancing at the two.

"Chuck, I already know your pin," Bela shrugs as Morgan takes a step back.

"Still; boundaries," he says.

"Mhmm," Bela says, shaking her head as she turns her back to him.

"Oh my God," Chuck says, the two turning to him.

"Oh my God, what?" Morgan asks. "Oh you're broke, right? That's okay don't feel bad dude, you know what? There's places I could use some grooming, so, forget about it."

"How are you broke?" Bela snorts, glancing at the screen once Morgan leaves. "What the hell!"

"Shhh-shut it!" Chuck hisses, glancing around.

"Where did that ten million come from?" she asks, eyes wide. "Ohh."

* * *

"Hey, hey, Sarah," Chuck says, Bela and him quickly rushing down the stairs into castle. "Look I hope this isn't a mistake and the CIA has decided to compensate me for my numerous acts of heroism, but there happens to be an extra oh I don't know ten million dollars in my ATM account."

"Just his, not mine," Bela says, nodding. "So it's definitely not from the CIA."

"What?" Sarah asks. "Why would my father put the sheik's money in your account?"

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, again we're not so sure this is coming from your father, I'm still clinging to the compensation theory," Chuck adds, Bela growling at this.

"Leave it there," Sarah says, zipping up a large black bag.

"You know that's not a bad idea, should earn a couple thousand a day in interest," he says before raising an eyebrow. "What are you-what are you doing? Where are you going?"

"It's personal," she growls, leaving the two.

"I bet if we used that excuse on them, they'd beat the real answer out of us," Bela says, turning to Chuck. "And you're splitting the interest you earn with me as well."

"That-what? That's unfair," he says, shaking his head.

"You know what's unfair? All the free rides you get in my car," she says, glancing at him.

"So a fifty-fifty split?" he asks, a smile playing at her lips.

"Bela!" Casey yells, jogging up to her.

"Hey, what happened?" she asks, running her eyes over him for any signs of injury. "Where's Jack?"

"His room was trashed, I think he was kidnapped," he sighs before looking around. "Where's Walker?"

"Yeah, she just left in a real big hurry with two duffel bags stuffed full of t-shirts and some serious fire power," she says as he turns away. "Where are you going?"

"It's personal!" he yells and she stares after him, annoyed.

"Hey, was that Casey?" Chuck asks, joining her out the front.

"Yeah," she nods. "Don't ask where he's going-it's personal."

"Well I've got the keys to the DeMorgan-"

"Oh Chuck, no!" she protests.

"You're the one that decided not to bring your car in today," he says, making his way to the car park. She growls before quickly following.

* * *

"This is so embarrassing," Bela says, ducking down as Chuck slowly drives up to the others. Jack and Sarah were being held at gunpoint by the sheik's men.

"Hey," Bela says slowly as they climb out of the DeLorean.

"Don't shoot, don't shoot I have your money right here!" Chuck says the laptop in his hands.

"Hey, no!" Sarah protests.

"Grab her gun," Amad says, Sarah quickly being disarmed. "Mister Lichtenstein, thank you for joining us. Here to sell me the DeLorean?"

"I have your money, and I can wire it to you right now," Chucks says, showing him the laptop.

"If you're lying," Amad says. "I will put a bullet in both their heads."

Bela gasps as one of his men grabs her arms, pressing a gun against her head.

"All I need is your account number," Chuck says. "Please, we're just a couple of bad conmen who got in way too deep alright? All we want to do is give you your money back. Come take it and let us go."

Amad smirks, quickly typing his details into the laptop and waiting for the money to transfer.

"There, you have your money," Chuck says.

"Pleasure doing business," Amad says before turning to his men. "Now kill them!"

"Oh, God," Bela says, quickly squeezing her eyes shut.

"Okay, hold it right there, US Treasury!" Casey says, pulling up in a car with flashing lights and a siren as he holds up a badge. "Don't anybody move!"

Bela slowly opens one eye, watching him carefully.

"Send 'em up boys, I got 'im," he says into his walkie talkie. "I got Lichtenstein."

"Ouch," Bela winces, watching Casey throw Chuck down on the hood of the car as he cuffs him.

"You're really selling it there, Casey," Chuck growls.

"Yeah," he grins.

"Is this a joke?" Amad asks. "Huh? Where's your backup?"

"Oh, I'm just the tip of the spear, rest of the crew's on their way up," he says, grabbing Sarah's arm. He places a gun in her hand as he pretends to cuff her. "Been following these drifters for months now; you know, if you gentlemen would be willing to testify I'm sure we could get the weapons charges dropped."

"Drop it!" Sarah yells, aiming the weapon at them.

"No, you lower your weapons or I will kill the girl and your father," Amad says.

Sarah stares at Jack, swallowing hard as he nods slowly. She pulls the trigger, shooting him in the shoulder.

"If I did that to him, imagine what I'll do to you," Sarah threatens. "Drop your weapon!"

"Please don't shoot me!" Bela cries, staring at them wide eyed. "It hurt enough the first time I got shot."

Casey fires regardless, missing her and hitting the man that was holding her. Bela quickly falls to the ground, crawling over to Jack.

"Are you okay?" she asks.

"I've been better, darling," he pants.

"Amad's getting away!" Casey yells.

"Not at twenty two miles an hour he's not!" Chuck yells back as Sarah takes down the last of Amad's men.

"All clear," she says, Bela helping Jack to stand as she rushes over to the two.

"Call it in," Casey says, uncuffing Chuck before making his way over to Bela. "Are you okay?"

She nods, staring up at him.

"I wasn't gonna shoot you," he promises, his arm wrapping around her.

She smiles, resting her head against his chest.

"Yeah, hi I'd like to report a stolen eighty one DeLorean, licence plate is D-E-M-O-R-G-A-N," Chuck says into his phone. "No this is not a prank call."

* * *

"You're not gonna believe this," Morgan says, joining Chuck and Bela. "But the police just called; the DeLorean was stolen."

"Morgan, I've been meaning to tell you..." Chuck starts.

"Guys, do you know what that means? They have to impound the car, I'm gonna get blue book value!" he explains. "I'll pay back Awesome and I'll still have ten large; I'm rich!"

"We're rich," Anna interrupts. "Now we can move in together in style! I am doing the whole living room in shabby chic. I love you."

"I love you," Morgan says, pretending to catch one of her kisses. "Oh, yummy kisses! Well you have to grow up sometime, y'know?"

"The right girl, the right time; we're proud of you, Morgan," Bela smiles.

"Dude-you're not gonna believe what just showed up in the audio install," Lester says, interrupting the three before turning to Bela. "Also, there's an audio install waiting for you."

"Thanks," she says, rolling her eyes before following them.

"Do not let Morgan buy it-I don't care what it is!" Chuck calls after her.

"Ohh," Bela says, staring at the car. "Ohh, I want it."

"What? You already have an _awesome_ car!" Morgan protests. "Why can't you let me have an awesome car!"

"Chuck!" Bela yells, poking her head out the door. "Chuck, you gotta come here!"

"What?" he sighs, joining them before noticing both Morgan and Bela surveying the vehicle. "No-no to both of you, _no_."

"But Chuck," they whine.

"What're you gonna do with _two_ cars?" Chuck asks as Bela slides her hand across the hood.

"Become a hillbilly," she sighs. "It's _the General Lee_, Chuck!"

"No," he says, shaking his head.

"But-"

"Do I need to call Casey?" he asks.

"No," she mutters, glaring at him before starting the install.

* * *

"Bells?" Casey asks, walking into the apartment. He tosses his keys on the counter as he joins her in the kitchen.

"Hey," she says, staring down at him from the counter.

"I do have chairs," he points out before noticing her annoyed expression. "What's wrong with you?"

"I'm fine," she mutters, cursing as he steps in front of her.

He takes the container from her, tossing it in the sink.

"What's wrong?" he asks, tilting her head to face him.

"Chuck wouldn't let me buy a Dodge Charger," she says, a smile playing at her lips. "Y'know, _the_ General Lee."

"Huh, the kid actually did something smart," he snorts and she frowns at him.

"Funny," she says. "And don't call Chuck a kid, we're the same damn age."

He grunts, turning away before she pulls him back, her legs wrapping around him securely.

"Don't you use your cop face on me," she grins, laughing as he rolls his eyes.

"Cop face?" he asks and she nods.

"But you have a cute cop face," she teases, kissing him quickly.

"Cute?" he asks sceptically and she grins.

"You're just not happy with anything, are you?" she snorts.

"Nope."

She shakes her head, ignoring him as he leans further against her.

"No," she says defiantly turning her head away from him. "I'm still mad at you."

"For what?" he asks confused.

"You shot at me," she says her eyes narrowing. "I just remembered."

"You're insufferable," he sighs, but quickly pulls her off the counter and into his arms.

"Yet you can't resist," she teases, laughing as he carries her bridal style up the stairs.

* * *

A/N: So far in the story we've met Bela's dad and now Sarah's dad. Who will be next I wonder…? Next is the Christmas episode where a hostage situation at the Buy More causes some unexpected things to be said in the heat of the moment. But who says them? Please review!


	25. Chuck vs Santa Claus

A/N: The Christmas episode! It would have been ideal to have this out at Christmas time, but that didn't happen and I sure as hell wasn't going to wait until next Christmas so we have it now. Hope you like it!

* * *

"Hey, have you seen-woah," Casey says, noticing that the person he was talking to in the elf costume was in fact Bela, the person he'd been looking for.

"Shut up, shut up, a thousand times shut up," she orders, pressing her hand against his chest firmly.

"Wasn't gonna say a thing," he says, holding back his laughter as he runs his eyes over her outfit. "You're all fluffy."

"I get paid extra for this, so shut it," she mutters, gasping as he presses his lips against hers.

"Oh my God," Chuck says, staring down at her as the two part. "You actually accepted-you need money that bad?"

"It's the holidays," Bela deadpans, folding her arms across her chest.

"You're a very angry elf," he notes and she rolls her eyes as they turn to the TV. Everyone was watching a car chase, Anna taking bets on what the outcome would be.

"I say he crashes and we end up with a stand off and maybe hostages," Anna says.

"I'm in," Bela says, handing her some money.

"Never gonna happen," Lester interrupts.

"Please, you guys are amateurs this has beat down written all over it," Jeff adds.

"Well it's nice to see everyone's in the Christmas spirit this morning," Chuck says.

"Bartowski!" Big Mike interrupts, dressed in a Santa costume. "Doors open in an hour; round up the freaks have everyone meet me in Santa's village pronto!"

"Great," Bela says as everyone moves into a line.

"This is it, people!" Big Mike says. "D-Day. You ready for war? You got what it takes? Take a sniff, Grimes, tell this band of misfits what you smell."

"Coffee-hazelnut maybe? Uh, glazed bear claw-cream filled perhaps?" Morgan says.

"I'm not talking about my breakfast!" Big Mike yells. "I'm talking about profits. People are lazy; they'll be looking to purchase last minute gifts which is why we raise our prices fifteen percent. We're looking at a record sales day, as long as you people don't screw it up. So don't!"

"Family's here," Bela whispers to Chuck, nodding at the doors.

"Oh, cool," he says, letting Ellie and Awesome in.

"Hey, thank you," Ellie grins.

"What's going on?" Bela asks.

"We decided we'd beat the rush and take advantage of the friends and family discount," she explains.

"Bela, you look awesome!" Devon says, Bela rolling her eyes as he turns to Ellie. "Oh, don't worry about getting me a gift babe; you already did."

"I did?" Ellie asks, confused.

"Yeah, I took it upon myself to since you never know what to get me," he says proudly.

"That's great, what did I get you?" she asks.

"Weekend skydiving trip with the boys in Creston Beach," he grins. "Ten thousand foot freefall-awesome!"

"Chuck!" Big Mike yells. "Santa's village!"

"Yeah-hey, great we gotta get back to work, you kids have fun," Chuck says, Bela following as he makes his way to Big Mike.

"Hey," Casey says, grabbing her arm.

"Mhmm?" she asks, glaring up at him.

"Wasn't gonna say anything this time, either," he smiles. "I'm gonna head to castle, I'll be back by the time the store opens."

"Alright, have fun," she says, smiling as he kisses her lightly.

"Cover," he shrugs.

"Of course," she nods, taking a seat.

"Where's Casey?" Chuck asks, joining her behind the Nerd Herd desk.

"Had to go to castle," she shrugs, looking around. "Are those sirens getting louder?"

They both duck down as a car smashes through the entrance of the store, coming to a stop just before hitting the desk. The driver climbs out of the vehicle, aiming his weapon at the two as they stand.

"Alright, nobody move!" he orders.

"Hi," Chuck says both his and Bela's arms in the air. "Welcome to the Buy More."

"Not good, not good oh boy," the man says nervously. "Okay Ned just calm down, think."

"Guess I get a share of the winnings," Bela whispers to Chuck, reminding him of the earlier bet. He stares at her in disbelief. "What?"

"Hi, hi!" the gunman says. "Uh, my name's Nathan Edward Rhyerson; uh, people like to call me Ned! Sorry about the entrance, could someone please tell me who's in charge here?"

"Chuck and Bela!" everyone yells, pointing to the two.

"Actually, we're not technically in charge," Chuck explains.

"I don't wanna hurt anyone, guys," Ned says to them. "So as long as no one gets brave no one gets shot okay?"

"Okay," Bela nods, glancing around at everyone hiding. "I think we're safe um this store has a very strict no bravery policy."

"Okay, okay," Ned nods. "Everyone, get over there by Santa's Village! Now! C'mon!"

Chuck and Bela slowly begin to follow the others before Ned stops them.

"Uh guys, where's the security system?" he asks.

"It um, it's-just follow us," Chuck says, Bela and him leading Ned to the controls. "It's over here."

"Are there any other ways in and out of the store?" Ned asks.

"Uh, yeah but they're all locked down because we technically haven't opened yet," Bela explains.

"Good, then lock it down," he says, and she quickly enters the security code into the system. Chuck and her exchange looks before turning and watching the cages slide down over the doors.

* * *

"That's a terrible picture of me," Ned says, gesturing at the TV.

"Eh, your driver's license photo?" Bela asks and he nods.

"You can put your hands down," he says. "You know truth is I'm not a bad guy once you get to know me."

"When you're not crashing your car into electronics stores and waving a gun around?" Bela jokes

"Yeah," he nods. "Hey I know it's no excuse but I lost my job; all I wanted was to get a few gifts for my kids so we could celebrate Christmas and the next thing you know I'm the next OJ. What am I gonna do, Bela? I mean they're gonna put me in jail, aren't they?"

"No," she says quickly. "No, maybe not you know? Uh, I mean you haven't hurt anyone yet right? So maybe if you give up they'll work out some kind of deal; probation or something."

"Uh, why would they do that?" he asks as Chuck joins the two.

"Look, keep this between us but we know some people," Bela starts, Chuck elbowing her in the side as he shakes his head. "Chuck, it's okay. We know people who can make all this go away as long as you don't do anything stupid."

"Like who?" he asks again as the Nerd Herd desk phone rings. "Who's calling?"

"Uh, that's probably the police maybe they want to know what's happening," Chuck says.

"Well I don't want to talk to anyone, do you think you could answer it?" he asks.

"Yeah," Chuck says before picking up the phone. "Nerd Herd, how can I help you? Uh this is Chuck Bartowski, Nerd Herd supervisor. He wants to talk to you."

Ned shakes his head quickly.

"He doesn't want to talk to you."

"Chuck'll handle it," Bela reassures a nervous Ned.

"He says you should send out a hostage as a sign of good faith," Chuck says.

"Pick me, pick me!" Emmett yells, rushing towards them. "My eighty six year old mother is dying a very rare disease... it's Leucoplaykia and she needs me, her BoBo."

"Uh, okay, fine," Ned says. "Send him."

"Thank you, thank you!" Emmett cries, hugging Ned before running out.

"We're sending someone out," Chuck says before hanging up.

"Uh, so uh, where are these people that can get me out of this?" Ned asks.

"Um," Bela says, biting her lip before Chuck interrupts.

"They're closer than you think," he nods. "Can you excuse us for a minute? I have to have a n-needle daily and Bela's the one that does it for me. I mean the store's locked down so we can't really go anywhere."

"Hey, yeah sure of course," Ned says.

"Thanks," Chuck says, grabbing Bela's hand before pulling her along into the break room. "Be back in a sec."

"What are you talking about?" she asks, confused. "A needle? You _hate_ needles!"

"Well we couldn't _both_ say we needed to use the bathroom at the same time that would be weird!"

"And a needle isn't!"

"About time," Casey says, grabbing her arm and startling her.

"What the hell!" she yells, jumping. "Where did you guys come from?"

"Come on, we're locking you in the castle until all this is over," he says, revealing a hidden door behind the lockers.

"Whoa, whoa, what about Ellie and Morgan and everyone else?" Chuck asks.

"We were instructed to remove just the two of you," Sarah explains. "There's a team coming to extract the rest and they'll be in good hands."  
"I'm not just gonna leave my sister behind!"

"There are rules Chuck and we have to follow them!" she says. "Let's go!"

"I understand that there are rules but when it comes to family and friends there's a time to break them."

"I'm with Chuck on this," Bela says, pulling away from Casey.

"Get in the hatch," he growls.

"You're letting your emotions cloud your judgement," Sarah says. "I promise nothing bad will happen now please come on!"

"I can't take that chance," Chuck says, shaking his head.

"Guys?" Ned asks. "Is that you?"

Casey quickly moves the lockers back in place, moving to stand next to Sarah.

"Ahh!" Ned yells, aiming his gun at the two as he walks in. "Chuck, what's going on!"

"Ned, please, please, please don't shoot that gun," Chuck pleads.

"Who are they?"

"They're harmless, they're harmless okay?" Bela explains. "Look they heard your crash and they hid."

"This is my girlfriend, Sarah," Chuck says.

"Hi," she says.

"Hey."

"And this is John Casey, Bela's boyfriend who's even _more_ harmless than she is," Chuck continues.

"John Casey?"

He shrugs.

"Ned, please just uncock the gun," Bela suggests.

"Okay," he nods. "Uh how do I do that 'cause uh truth is I've never used one of these before so..."

"There's probably a button on it like safety or something like that?" Chuck says. "Just push-"

"No, no, no!" Bela and Casey yell the gun firing.

Casey falls to the ground grasping at his bloodied foot as Bela and Sarah stare down at him horrified.

"I'm so sorry!" Ned apologizes. "I'm so sorry, are you okay? I didn't mean to shoot you I promise."

"Oh my God, Casey," Bela whispers, leaning over him. "I have, uh, bandaids?"

"Just get me up," he growls, Chuck and her quickly helping him up.

"We should probably go back out there, let everyone know that we're okay-most of us at least," Chuck says.

"Most of us?" Casey growls.

"It's okay everyone!" Chuck yells as they help Casey out into the store. "It was a mistake, an accidental shooting but Casey is gonna be just fine!"

"Idiot, you owe me a toe Bartowski," he growls before they sit him down.

* * *

"You're gonna be just fine, John," Ellie says as Devon and her finish bandaging up his foot. "A lot of people get by with only nine toes."

"I survived three wars without so much as losing a finger nail before I met you Bartowski," Casey growls.

"I'm really sorry about your toe, John," he says. "But we had this situation under control; you're the one that scared him."

He growls, glaring at Chuck a moment longer before looking across at Bela.

She was sitting next to him, chewing on her lip as she stares down his bandaged appendage.

"I'm fine," he says, her eyes flicking up to meet his. He leans over, his hand curling around her neck as he kisses her.

She smiles as they part, her hands covering his.

"What?" he asks confused.

"You're a mess," she chuckles, lightly running her fingers over the many bandages on his fingers.

"Gift wrap," he growls, the two looking up as Devon addresses the circle of employees surrounding him.

"What? Hold on, wait, this is a very, very bad idea okay Ned shot Casey on accident," Chuck explains. "He's not trying to hurt anybody you need to let the police handle this."

"Chuck's right, let the cops handle this," Casey adds as Bela and him join them.

"I know you guys work at a Buy More, but I'm a doctor," Devon says. "I take risks everyday. This is a matter of life or death, someone needs to man up and take action; someone needs to be a hero."

"No, they don't Devon," Ellie interrupts. "Being a hero is being alive to take care of your friends and family."

"Chuck, Chuck, they keep calling you better answer it," Ned calls out, pointing at the ringing phone.

"Yeah, coming right now," Chuck says before turning back to the others. "Don't do anything, do nothing! I'll be right back."

"I'll come with you," Bela says, following Chuck to the desk.

"Hey, hey, I feel terrible about shooting your boyfriend's toe off," Ned says to her as Chuck answers the phone.

"No, no, that's okay," she says, smiling lightly. "Sometime's I feel like shooting him myself."

"He wants to know what your demands are?" Chuck asks.

"I don't know," Ned says. "Uh, I have to think about it."

"Can you call back in like five minutes?" Chuck asks before hanging up.

"So, uh, so what are you gonna do Ned?" Bela asks.

"Well, maybe I should call my wife?" he suggests. "She always knows what to do in these situations.

"Yeah, that's a great idea," Chuck says. "Maybe you could let everyone else make a call, too? Check in with their loved ones, let them know that they're safe?"

"Okay," he shrugs. "Yeah."

* * *

"Hey," Casey says, joining Bela. She quickly wipes at her eyes, clearing her throat as she turns her back to him.

"Hey," she mumbles.

"You made your call then?" he asks and she nods, her hand still gripping her phone. "How's your dad?"

"Getting the truck ready for another trip," she says distractedly. He pulls her closer, her head instantly pressing into his chest.

"Sorry," she apologizes, pulling away as she cleans herself up again.

"You're apologizing for crying?" he asks. "Bells, it's okay."

She shakes her head until his hands grip her shoulders, forcing her to face him.

"We're gonna get you out of here," he says. "You're gonna get to see your dad again."

She sniffs, quickly nodding her head.

"I wish I wasn't wearing this ridiculous outfit!" she huffs, resting her hands on her bare stomach.

"Do you get to keep it?" he asks, pulling her closer as she snorts.

"You cannot possibly be turned on by this!" she laughs, gesturing at her clothes.

His eyes run over the costume, a small smile playing on his lips.

"Idiot," she mutters.

He leans forward, slowly wiping away the tears that remained on her cheeks.

"Casey," she whispers, staring into his eyes.

"Hmm?" he asks.

"I... love... you," she mutters quietly, Casey only just hearing her.

He pulls her to him, his lips crushing hers as his hand rests against the back of her head.

"Bela-Bells!" Chuck hisses, interrupting the two.

"Duty calls," she says, quickly disentangling herself before rushing to join Chuck.

"Hey, this is Chuck," he says, answering the phone. "It's Lieutenant Mauser; he wants to know what you want?"

"I want to go home and spend Christmas with my family," he says, Bela biting her lip as she waits for Chuck to talk.

"Okay, alright yeah," Chuck says. "I'm gonna come and open the door right now."

"What?" Bela asks, following him.

"The lieutenant is coming in," he explains, entering in the code. "Are you okay? You're all... have you been crying?"

She clears her throat as he wraps an arm around her, looking down at her with concern.

"I'm fine," she sniffs, shaking her head. "Just got caught up in the moment earlier; my dad says hi."

He kisses her on the head before they both look up as Ned calls out to them.

"Guys, you come back over here," he says, waiting for them to join him. "Okay, I don't want to go to jail."

"It's okay, we're gonna work on that," the lieutenant says. "But in the meantime, what do you say you and I make a trade okay? Me for two of your hostages. You'd make a lot of people out there feel a whole lot easier."

"Yeah," Bela agrees. "In here too."

"Okay," Ned agrees. "Two people can go."

"Okay, good," Mauser grins. "What do you say we start with the injured man? He looks like he needs medical attention."

"I'm fine, I'm good," Casey says, Bela biting her lip as she turns to face him. "Let Bela go."

"You should go, Casey," Devon interrupts. "Your toe could be infected; sorry Bells."

"I'm fine," she smiles.

"Chuck, you've been a good friend to me," Ned says. "So I'm gonna return the favour, I'm gonna let your girlfriend go."

"No!" Chuck yells, everyone turning to stare at him in disbelief.

"Chuck?" Ellie asks.

"Ouch," Jeff says.

"Yikes," Lester continues. "Gonna be a cold Christmas at the Bartowski's."

"Oh no he didn't!" the woman next to Lester says, shaking her head.

"I didn't, I don't-I don't mean I don't want my girlfriend to leave because clearly I would really like for Sarah to leave and be out of harm's way," he explains. "That's not what I'm saying, what I'm saying is that...I'm not your only friend here, Ned. You've endeared yourself into the hearts of everyone here I think we're all friends this is a-we're a family; we've gone through a lot haven't we? So we should all leave, why don't we all leave together!"

"No, just those two," Ned says.

"Okay," Bela says, turning as Casey rests a hand on her shoulder.

"Our team just arrived," he whispers, embracing her. "Don't let Chuck do anything stupid and the rest of us can get out of here without losing an appendage."

"Got it," she whispers, the two pulling apart.

"That kinda sucks," Chuck says, watching them leave before locking the doors again.

"Yeah," she sighs, looking up as Mauser joins them.

"Good to finally meet you face to face, Chuck," he says, shaking his hand. "You did a hell of a job, pretty impressive for a retail jockey."

"I just want all this over as soon as possible," Chuck says.

"So do I, Chuck," he agrees. "So do I."

Bela's eyes widen as she flashes on his watch, revealing him to be Fulcrum.

"Hey, don't worry about it," he says, patting her on the shoulder. "I'm a pro, everything's gonna be just fine. Okay?"

"Okay," she smiles, scratching the back of her neck nervously as he leaves the two alone. "Please tell me you saw that."

"Saw that he's Fulcrum?" he whispers and she nods.

"We need to do something," she says, gesturing at Mauser as he makes his way over to Ned.

"Wait, wait, wait," Chuck says, the two jogging over to him.

"You did a good job," he says. "But I'll take it from here, okay?"

"Yeah, but you know what? Ned is really uptight," Bela explains. "So maybe Chuck and I should go over there and talk to him and tell him that you're taking over; kinda put him at ease so that he doesn't get upset."

"So you guys developed a little trust did you?"

"Yeah," Chuck nods.

"Okay, well yeah good idea."

Bela smiles at him before the two make their way over.

"Listen Ned, you have to listen to me very carefully," Chuck starts. "This guy Mauser? He's no good, he is not a good guy okay we cannot trust him."

"Why not?"

"We have to let everybody out of the store right now," Bela says.

"Well, if I let everyone out then I'm not gonna have any bargaining chips I can't go to jail."

"Okay, look," Chuck sighs. "The people we were talking about, the people who can help? They work for the Government see; they will do anything they can to protect us that's the only bargaining chip you need."

"Ned, you have to trust us," Bela says as Mauser makes his way towards them. "You have to let everyone go we haven't let you down yet, have we?"

"Thanks guys, I'll take it from here," Mauser says.

"Okay," Chuck nods. "Okay."

"You think he'll listen?" Bela whispers, glancing across at Chuck.

"I hope so," he says before turning to her. "So are you okay? I know you were crying before."

"I'm fine," she whispers, shaking her head.

"You sure?" he asks, resting his hand on her back.

"Yeah," she nods. "Just... talking to my dad, and then I said something _stupid_ to Casey; I've got things to fix when we get out of here."

"Yeah," he agrees, frowning as he notices Devon talking to the Buy More staff. "Oh, come on!"

"That's just what we need."

"Hey, hey, what are you doing?" Chuck interrupts.

"Well, we're taking this guy out," Devon explains. "You guys in?"

"No and neither are you this situation is way too dangerous," Bela frowns.

"Please Devon," Chuck says. "If you love Ellie, don't do this."

"Okay guys, you win," he sighs.

"Chuck, Bela," Mauser calls out. "Can I talk to you a minute?"

"Remember, don't be awesome," Chuck says before the two leave.

"Well guys, looks like Ned and I worked the whole thing out," he explains.

"That's great!" Bela grins. "We'll just go tell everybody that we can leave!"

"No, no, no, not just yet," he says. "But soon. First us three need to work something out on our own."

"I don't understand," Chuck smiles nervously, grabbing Bela's hand.

"You see Fulcrum knows John Casey's NSA," he says, the two freezing. "The uh, other girl's CIA. We've lost enough agents to these two; we knew they were here protecting someone we just didn't know who. So we caused a little ruckus, let Ned inside to see who they'd rush and protect. Turns out, they're protecting the two of you."

"I have no idea what you're talking about, Lieutenant," Chuck laughs nervously, Bela shaking her head.

"Do you see Ned over there?" he asks, pointing behind them. "I'd hate to see him shoot your pretty little sister if he thought you were not cooperating with me."

"Look, we're just analysts," Bela says. "Please don't hurt anyone."

"You two are way more than just analysts," he says. "We did background checks on you both, turns out your college roommate and your ex fiancé was Bryce Larkin. The same Bryce Larkin that stole the intersect from us."

"Bryce Larkin is dead," Chuck lies.

"And I'm done negotiating," Mauser says, nodding to Ned.

"Wait," Chuck says, turning to see him cock a gun. "Wait, stop him, stop him!"

"What do you want?" Bela growls after he signals Ned to stop.

"I want to know where Bryce Larkin and the intersect are," he says. "And if I think you're lying, even a little bit, Chuck's sister dies. Where's Bryce Larkin?"

"We don't know," Chuck says.

"Then I'm really sorry," Mauser says, turning around.

"But we know where the intersect is," Bela interrupts.

"Where?" he growls, turning to her.

She turns to Chuck before pulling her hand out of his.

"Bela, no," he whispers.

"It's right here," she says, pointing to her head.

"We both have it," Chuck says quickly. "We both have an intersect."

Mauser stares at the two wide eyed before nodding.

"Alright, this is how it's gonna play out, Ned's gonna release two more hostages; you two. Then you and I are gonna go out and get into an ambulance which will take you to a secure Fulcrum facility where you'll stay."

"I'm never gonna see my sister again, am I?" Chuck asks slowly.

"No," he says. "Well then would you mind if I said goodbye to her please?"

"Okay, but if you say or do anything to call attention to me or the situation, Bela's gonna die," he says, taking a hold of her arm.

She winces, her eyes quickly meeting Chuck's.

"I'll be back," he promises her before making his way over to Ellie.

"The intersect is in your head," Mauser smirks, watching Bela carefully.

She ignores him, keeping her eyes on Chuck.

"Don't you want to say goodbye?" he asks and she stiffens.

"No," she says, shaking her head as Chuck joins them.

"Let's go," he says, pulling Bela back from Mauser.

He nods, leading the two outside.

"It's gonna be okay," Chuck whispers, squeezing her hand reassuringly once they're inside the ambulance, Mauser sitting opposite them.

"How far away is it?" Bela asks.

"We'll be there soon, don't worry," he says before the van stops suddenly, throwing the three about.

"Ouch," Bela groans, pressing her hand to her head as Chuck helps her up from the floor before pulling her from the van.

"Get back here!" Mauser yells.

"You're bleeding," Chuck says, trying not to gag at the sight of blood trickling down her forehead.

"I'll live," she says, quickly looking behind them.

She gasps as Sarah grabs Chuck, her hand covering his mouth.

"Lieutenant Mauser is Fulcrum, so is Ned it was all a set up," Bela says quickly. "Everyone in the store's still in danger!"

"A team is moving in on them right now, they'll be fine now I need you both to run back as fast as you can to the castle," Sarah says calmly.

"I can't leave you alone with this guy!" Chuck says.

"Guys, your safety is more important than mine, now leave!" she orders. "_Leave_ and don't turn back!"

Chuck stares at her before taking Bela's hand, pulling her along quickly.

"What are you doing?" she asks as he stops.

"I can't leave her," he says. "You keep going."

"I'm not leaving you!" she growls.

He sighs, the two of them quietly making there way back over to Sarah.

"Great," she sighs, staring up at the rain. She turns back to see Sarah shoot Mauser.

"Oh my God," Chuck whispers, Bela pushing him back.

"We have to go," she says softly. "Come on, we have to go now."

He nods, slowly turning around before following her back to the castle.

* * *

"Hey," Casey says, making his way over to Bela. "What happened?"

She stares down at him from the stretcher, a fresh bandage on her forehead.

"I had an accident," she says, chewing on her lip.

"Are you okay?" he asks, glancing at the paramedic.

"She's fine, just a flesh wound," he says as she jumps down.

"You're soaking wet," Casey says, brushing her hair back behind her ears.

"I'm fine," she growls, shrugging away from him.

"What is wrong with you?" he asks, confused by her behaviour.

"About what I said before," she starts, hesitating briefly. "That I l...l..., you know what I said."

"Yeah, about that," he says, waiting.

"It was a heat of the moment thing," she lies, wringing her hands together. "I mean, if I'd of been near Chuck I would have said the same to him, or Ellie, Devon-"

"Sarah?" he questions.

"Sure, why not," she shrugs. "Thing is, I don't want you to think-what I mean to say is-it didn't mean…"

"Didn't mean anything, I got it," he shrugs.

"To be fair, you didn't exactly say it back," she mutters, and he quickly spins around to face her.

"I thought my reaction was answer enough!" he growls before shaking his head. "No, never mind."

"My head hurts," she whispers, staring down at her wet clothes.

"I'll take you home," he sighs, wrapping an arm around her as Ellie and Devon smile at the two.

"Are you both alright?" Ellie asks, Casey still limping and Bela freshly bandaged.

"We're fine," Bela smiles reassuringly. "We're gonna head home and rest up. It's been a long day."

"See you guys later, take care of yourselves," Devon says, waving to them.

"I'm driving," she says, sliding into the driver's seat before he can protest.

"You have a head injury," he mentions, buckling up as she starts the engine.

"And you have only nine toes, I win," she growls, glaring at him briefly before taking off.

* * *

A/N: Poor Bela, you can't really take back those words now can you. Once they've been said, they're out there. And Casey's pretty much admitted he feels the same way too, but these two are just too stubborn. Please review!


	26. Chuck vs The Third Dimension

A/N: Don't worry; no 3D glasses are needed to view this chapter. So things are still icy between Bela and Casey, and Chuck is a little fearful of Sarah after seeing her kill Mauser. With the two having a day off, will they be able to sort everything out? Please review!

* * *

"Hey," Chuck says, greeting Bela as she makes her way into the Buy More. "Did you just ride in with Sarah?"

"No," she snorts before meeting his gaze. "She rode in with me... I stayed at her place last night."

"More trouble in paradise?" he teases before frowning at her expression. "What happened?"

"I... said something stupid to Casey," she mutters, rubbing the back of her neck.

"What, that you love him?" he snorts, shaking his head before pausing. "Bela!"

"It was a spur of the moment-hostage situation type admittance, I took it back right after!"

"And you took it back," he sighs. "You two are officially screwed, sorry Bells."

"You're so freakin' comforting," she growls, glaring at him before her eyes drift across to a man in a trench coat. "Hey..."

He follows her gaze, flashing on the bomb the man was holding.

"Oh!" he panics, the two quickly ducking behind a shelf as the man glances their way. "Sarah, Casey there's a situation at the Buy More there's a guy with a grenade!"

"I'm heading towards the store now," Sarah responds.

"Where is he?" Casey asks, joining the two.

"Uhh," Chuck whispers, Bela and him slowly peeking over the top of the shelf. "He's gone."

"Where's the grenade?" Casey asks.

"Oh, crap!" Bela gasps, quickly rushing over to where the man was standing before and picking up the box.

"Don't open it!" Casey orders before staring down at the opened box. "That's a grenade."

She slowly closes the box again, staring up at him wide eyed.

"It's gonna blow anyway idiot I'll take it out front," Casey says, taking it from her.

"No we can't take it out front, there's people out there we gotta take it out the back," Chuck interrupts.

"Okay, stay here," Casey says, running off.

"Casey!" Bela yells, Chuck and her following.

"Hey, that is my Tyler Martin display; he is a hero of mine John!" Lester growls as Casey knocks down one of the cardboard cut-outs.

He growls, knocking him into an open fridge before Chuck pauses next to him.

"Sorry Lester, emergency!" he apologizes.

"Hey, nobody treats Lester like that!" Jeff growls, taking hold of the box in Casey's hands.

"Jeff, let go!" Bela yells, the box flying out of their hands and onto the ground behind her.

"Throw it!" Casey orders and she picks it up, tossing it at him.

"Intercepted!" Morgan calls out, catching the box before it reaches Casey.

"Why are we playing keep away?" he asks, confused.

They stare at him confused before he takes off with the box, running into the outstretched arm of a new employee.

"Come on!" Casey says, retrieving the box and making his way out the back.

"Morning, Sarah!" Chuck says as she rushes in.

"No time to diffuse it," Casey says, Bela looking around.

"I've got an idea!" she says, tossing the box in a small safe.

"Hold on," Sarah says, picking it up. "Open the refrigerator."

She places the safe inside before Casey closes it, quickly pushing it into a storage closet as the three duck down.

"Oh!" Bela gasps, clambering to Casey's side after the explosion. "Are you okay?"

"Fine," he mutters, moving past her.

"Oh, right..." she nods. "We're fighting; got it."

"Good morning, Chuck," Sarah smiles, choosing to ignore the two.

* * *

"Agent Walker, Mister Bartowski, Miss Tiernan," Beckman greets the three in castle. "I'm sure you're wondering why someone would want Tyler Martin dead?"

"Not really, I mean have you heard his music?" Chuck jokes. "It's overproduced, the lyrics are completely banal, I mean Facebook even has a group called 'I Want To Kill Tyler Martin'."

"Not that we're members, we would never-that's just wrong," Bela adds.

"Why don't you just share with General Beckman the Intel about the grenade that you two flashed on," Sarah suggests.

"It was an IG-88 thermite charge," Bela says.

"That's military," Beckman frowns.

"Commonly used by North African intelligence units," Sarah nods.

"Interestingly Tyler Martin recently completed a tour of Africa; I want you to find out who's behind this attempt and why."

"The only way to do that is to question Tyler Martin," Sarah says, confused.

"Then bring him in," Beckman says. "It can't be that hard to get him alone."

* * *

"How are we supposed to grab a rock star in broad daylight, I mean security's crawling all over the place," Chuck says as they watch Tyler from across the store.

Casey frowns as he watches Bela wave seductively at Tyler, leaning forward on the counter as she plays with the top buttons on her shirt.

"This is gonna be easy," she smirks, winking at Tyler before making her way out the back.

"What's gonna be easy?" Chuck asks, ignoring Casey's annoyed growls beside him.

"I'm such a fan, Mister Martin," Bela grins as Tyler joins her in the storage area.

"Oh, I'm a big fan of you too," he smirks, his eyes raking down her form. "So are you a model? An actress? Perhaps a massage therapist? Or maybe an acrobat?"

"I can be whatever you want," she smiles, Chuck pulling Casey back down beside him and making a noise.

"You got a pervert," Tyler says as he glances over to where they were hiding, turning back to Bela before he falls against her.

"Oh-wow!" she gasps, moving back as she lays him on the floor.

"Nighty night, Tyler," Casey says proudly after tranqing him.

* * *

"How much tranquiliser did you use?" Bela asks, the four staring down at Tyler in Casey's living room.

"It's a high grade dose, Mister Martin should be out for twelve to twenty four hours," he shrugs.

"Rock star metabolism," Chuck says as Tyler wakes up with a start, slowly stretching before his eyes fall on Bela.

"All the better for seeing you, darling," he grins before Casey tranqs him again. "I feel like a daffodil..."

"Time for the road trip," Casey says, Sarah following.

"Road trip? Wait-where are you going?" Chuck asks.

"The Buy More parking lot camera has a match on the car the suspect drove this morning," Casey explains.

"What about Tyler here?" Bela asks.

"Oh, check his mouth every twenty minutes make sure he doesn't choke on his own tongue," he shrugs before she moves over to stand in front of him.

"Hang on a second, you're gonna go and you want us to stay here and be on tongue watch duty?" she asks, staring up at him.

"Well, you don't have plans do you?" Sarah asks her eyes on Chuck.

"Would it be so crazy if we did?" Bela yells, becoming angry.

"Plans that involved something other than fixing a computer or playing hot potato with a thermite grenade?" Chuck adds.

"Yes," Casey smirks, Bela growling before turning away from him.

* * *

"At least Casey didn't throw out your food," Chuck says, joining Bela in the kitchen.

"Funny," she says, shaking her head. "It's been one night; he'd be an idiot if he did."

"I don't know, things are pretty icy between you two do you really think you can fix things?" he asks sceptically.

"Look, just because you don't want me to be with Casey doesn't mean you have to be a jerk about this whole thing," she snaps, making her way back out into the living room.

"Bells, I'm sorry," he says, joining her before freezing. "Where'd he go?"

"He was just here!" she says, looking around the room.

"Come on, he can't have gotten far," Chuck says, running outside.

"Oh, come on!" Bela says, rolling her eyes as they find Tyler urinating in the fountain outside.

"This is the most impressive restroom I've ever seen in my life," he says, staring up at the sky. "That ceiling looks just like the night sky."

"That's because that is the night sky," Bela says.

"Oh," he says, turning to her. "Have I made a mistake?"

"Nope!" Bela says, both Chuck and her averting their eyes.

"Better question, where am I?" Tyler asks. "Who are you?"

"I'm Chuck, and this is Bela who you've met previously," he explains. "And we work for the label."

"My record label?" he asks.

"Yes," Bela nods. "Your record label; there was a death threat against you earlier today so we thought it might be good to move you to this secure location."

"Alright, well, I'd better go," he says, zipping up.

"Uh, Mister Martin, you actually have to stay here for the night," Bela says slowly.

"Night? Unless you're naked the whole time sweetheart that won't be happening," he says, Chuck screwing his face up at this. "I get death threats all the time, okay? Besides, it's party night."

"It's Tuesday," Chuck says.

"Exactly," Tyler nods. "I've gotta go."

"Um, you know what? I've just gotta call our bosses real quick -" he says, Tyler taking the phone from him.

"Chuck, my record company got you this phone right?"

"Sure," Chuck says slowly.

"Okay," Tyler says before tossing it into the fountain. "I'll get you a new one. Guys, in case you haven't noticed yet, I just asked you to party with _me_."

"Come on," Bela whispers, pulling Chuck along as they follow Tyler.

* * *

"I can't believe I'm wearing this," Bela mutters, ignoring the chuckling coming from beside her. "Shut up!"

"You look lovely," Tyler says, resting a hand on her hip as he orders a round of drinks. "Told ya I had good taste."

"Yeah Bells, the man bought you a dress the least you could do is be thankful," Chuck ads.

She glares at him before taking a couple more shots as Tyler answers his phone.

"Should we be drinking?" Chuck whispers in her ear.

She stares up at him innocently before downing another shot.

"If I'm gonna be wearing this all night," she says, gesturing at what barely passed for a dress. "I'm gonna be drunk enough to not care."

"Who's for another drink?" Tyler asks after hanging up.

Bela nods eagerly, ignoring Chuck's protests.

"You're drinking too, buddy," she smirks, handing him a shot.

"Bela…" he says slowly, staring at the liquid in the small glass. "No…"

"Drink it," she says sternly, laughing as he tilts his head back. "See, that wasn't so bad now, was it?"

"You're going to be the death of me," he groans as she hands him another shot.

"Tonight, all the drinks on the record label!" Tyler announces.

"Oh!" Bela says, nervously glancing at Chuck. "Does he mean us?"

* * *

"So I said I'll give you the dog for the trousers," Tyler laughs, entertaining a group of women that surrounded him. "So I got the trousers."

Bela sat uncomfortably beside him, Chuck watching them amused.

"Hey Chuck, tell you what you need," Tyler says, leaning forward.

"Aspirin," Chuck suggests, Bela smirking at him.

"A tattoo," Tyler continues.

"Oh, no, no I'm not crazy about needles!"

"Ladies _love_ a little bit of ink; whenever I do something amazing you know, feed the starving, help the homeless, rescue some emaciated refugee I map it out here," he says, gesturing to a couple of tattoos on his arm. "On my body."

"How do you know what they all mean?" Chuck asks.

"Well this here means serenity…" he says, seeming unsure. "It's… it could be bliss. I dunno, Kevin my manager sorts it all out."

"You know Bela has a tattoo," Chuck says, nodding towards her as she shakes her head quickly.

"Do you now?" Tyler smirks, returning his attention to her. "I don't see it… yet."

"Oh, how charming," Bela says, glaring across at Chuck as two women join them.

"Are you Tyler Martin?" one of them asks.

"Yes I am," he says. "And this here is Chuck; Chuck is in my band."

"Yeah… I'm in his band alright," Chuck says with a fake British accent. "Drummer; just laying the beats down like a little drummer boy. Come, they told me parumpapumpum."

"Oh my God," Bela snorts, trying to hide her laughter.

"And this here is Bela," Tyler grins, the two women not seeming impressed.

"Um, you _guys_ want to dance?" one of them asks.

"Yes we do," Tyler nods, ignoring Chuck's protests.

The two women growl as Tyler pulls Bela up but move to the dance floor regardless.

"You know, I'm much better at ironic dancing," Chuck says, sandwiched between one of the women and Bela's back.

"What happened to your accent?" the other woman dancing with Tyler asks.

"Sorry, I don't really have one," Chuck apologises.

"I don't really care!" she replies.

"This is so awkward," Bela mutters to Chuck before being pulled up against Tyler.

"Hello," he grins.

"Hey," she says slowly, glancing at the other woman over his shoulder. "Oh crap."

"You alright?" he asks before laughing. "The drinks finally hit?"

"Haa, no," she laughs nervously before turning to Chuck. "Hey! I just flashed on that one's necklace!"

He glances behind her, shaking his head as he does the same.

"Chuck, we've got a problem!" Tyler calls out, the two quickly turning to him. "These girls want to take us upstairs and do _despicable_ things to us."

"Tyler, Tyler that's not such a great idea!" Chuck cries out.

"All the best nights of my life have begun with that very sentence," he says before winding an arm around each girl's waist and making his way to the exit.

"No, no wait!" Chuck protests before Bela and him quickly follow the three.

* * *

"This is really high up," Bela whispers, clutching Chuck's arm painfully as they all ride up in the elevator.

"Come on," he says, pulling her along as the doors open.

"So I think we should head straight for the bedroom," Tyler grins as they follow.

"Tyler, Tyler, we need to talk to you buddy, we need to talk to you right now!" Chuck says, interrupting the three. "Ladies I'm so sorry, if you could just make yourselves comfortable right inside then maybe we could have our talk and then we'll join you."

They nod, making their way into the bedroom.

"Listen to us carefully Tyler; these women are very, _very_ dangerous!" Bela stresses.

"Don't worry, I've always used protection," Tyler assures her.

"That's not what I'm talking about, I'm begging you just once deny yourself of this pleasure," she whispers.

"I see what's wrong, darling," he nods, pulling her closer. "You're jealous, it's okay."

"What?" she asks, shaking her head. "No-"

"Chuck needs this much more than me," he says, pushing him into the bedroom.

"No, no, Tyler, no!" Chuck protests as he closes the door.

"Now, it's just you and me," he smirks as he moves back towards Bela.

"Great," she says, smiling.

"How 'bout you and me go get ourselves our own little room," he suggests, Bela glancing at the bedroom door.

"We can't leave Chuck!" she cries.

"He's fine," he shrugs, pulling her along outside. "Having the time of his life I bet."

* * *

"I think we should go back and check on… Chuck!" Bela yells as the elevator doors open. Chuck was hanging on the outside of the elevator, the two women from earlier in front of him.

"Ladies, you ready for me?" Tyler grins before one of them pulls a gun on the two.

"Run!" Chuck yells before Tyler falls against Bela, unconscious.

"What the hell?" she asks confused before seeing the tranq dart in his neck.

"Hi," Casey says, grabbing the woman with the gun and pulling her out into the hallway.

"Damn it!" Bela hisses as the other woman lands a solid punch to her cheek before Sarah joins them.

"I got it," she says, Bela staring out at Chuck.

"What are you doing out there!" she asks, ignoring the fighting behind her.

"It's a long story-you guys left me!" he yells.

"He wanted to get another room, he dragged me the whole way!" she explains. "I wanted to stay, and I tried to make him come back!"

"Hey!" Casey growls, interrupting the two.

"Lobby, please?" Chuck asks, almost losing his grip.

* * *

"What were you two thinking!" Sarah growls as Casey and Chuck drag Tyler back into Casey's apartment. "We gave you clear instructions to keep him here and instead you take him to a nightclub?"

"Interesting tactical decision there," Casey adds, glancing at Bela before swallowing hard. "And what are you wearing?"

"He made me," she says, pointing at the unconscious Tyler.

"Time out, he woke up and we couldn't stop him!" Chuck interrupts. "Okay, we don't have a knock out karate chop like you guys, it's not in our skill set."

"Where am I?" Tyler asks groggily before grinning at Bela. "And how was I?"

"Mister Martin we're with the Government, we're here to protect you," Casey says.

"Wait, there was an elevator… Chuck, you were there," he says. "Two girls… one of them had a gun; it was pointed at Bela and me!"

"Tyler, it's alright, just like Casey said we're here to protect you," Bela says.

"Well I need to call my manager," he says, picking up his phone.

"No, Mister Martin I don't think that's a good idea 'cause we don't know who's involved," Sarah says.

"I have to call my manager!" Tyler says firmly before Casey tranqs him.

"Casey what is wrong with you, you can't do that you're gonna give the guy brain damage or liver problems!" Bela yells.

"Too late on both counts," Casey says.

"Bells," Chuck says, nodding at the tattoo on Tyler's back.

She glances at it before rubbing her head.

"We know why they're trying to kill him, we know why they want him dead," Chuck explains.

"What?" Sarah asks.

"His back, the tattoo on his back it's not Arabic philosophy it's actually a very clear message about the private reactor that's being built in North Africa," Bela says hurriedly.

"His manager is bringing in the tattoo artists…"

"Of course, he's a rock star he travels the world," Sarah says.

"His manager's using him to move secrets," Casey says. "Idiot never even knew what the ink meant."

"You know what Casey, you're wrong about Tyler," Bela interrupts. "He's actually a pretty good guy."

"Got a little crush, do we?" he scoffs.

"Jealous, are we?"

"Should never have left the three of you alone," Casey growls.

"You know what? Casey's right, you could have gotten yourselves killed," Sarah says. "What exactly were you thinking?"

"What were we thinking? I'll tell you what we were thinking," Chuck snaps. "We were thinking like we weren't spies! Okay, we were trying to have a little bit of fun and knew the second we called you two it would all be over!"

"But guys, you _are_ spies and you should know better than to put yourselves in a dangerous situation where we can't protect you!" Sarah says.

"Is it really so wrong for us to want a night off?" Bela asks.

"And I was having a really good time too until the assassins stole my pants and tried to kill me!" Chuck adds. "We've earned it, we deserve it… I'm losing consciousness…"

"Casey!" Sarah yells after he tranqs Chuck and Bela.

"My ears couldn't take it," he says. "Either that or I shoot 'em."

* * *

"The flash turned up good Intel, the man you confronted last night is Akmed Gambir," General Beckman explains to the team. "A top foot soldier for a private army in North Africa, we've been trying to infiltrate their ranks for years. I want you to capture Akmed at tonight's concert; he's the key to bringing down this merc army."

"Wait, you want Tyler on stage as bait?" Bela asks.

"General, Mister Martin knows there are people after him; he won't go on," Sarah explains.

"Well, then," she says. "Convince him."

"No, guys, this is way too dangerous," Chuck says as she ends the transmission. "Tyler could get killed."

"Those are nightmares tattooed on his body, Chuck," Casey says. "We have to take Gambir down tonight."

"Okay, okay fine _you_ go in there and tell him that he has to put his life on the line because he was a pawn in someone else's game," Bela says defiantly.

"He won't listen to us," Sarah shrugs, staring at the two.

"So you want us to do it? No!" Bela says, shaking her head. "Absolutely not!"

"What do you mean no?" Casey asks, turning to her. "We have orders."

"Chuck, what is the matter? This is more than about just taking a night off," Sarah sighs. "I know what's wrong with Bela, but you? Something's wrong."

"Maybe, um, you know, I'm a little off my game right now," Chuck admits. "I'm not really sleeping; I don't want to get into it."

"Chuck, lives are on the line right now and if Tyler doesn't help us then he won't ever be free of those people and if you don't help us then Akmed Gambir gets away!"

"And the world becomes a more dangerous place," Casey adds.

"I don't know what happened to you, but this is our job," Sarah says. "Not only to protect Tyler, but the Country and anybody else who needs protecting; we do whatever it takes no matter what. Did you forget that?"

"That I definitely didn't forget," he says, staring down at her.

"We don't have time for this," Casey says, grabbing Bela's arm.

"Wait!" Chuck says, turning to them. "I'll go with her. We'll convince him."

Bela pulls her arm out of Casey grip before following Chuck to the holding rooms.

"Hey, Tyler," she says quietly as they sit down opposite him. "Are you okay?"

"No. No I'm not okay," Tyler says annoyed. "I dunno where I am, how I got here, and someone's trying to kill me. On the plus side your friend's tranqs are out of this world."

"Yeah, it's one of his few good qualities," Bela says.

"I've never been in a situation like this before," he says. "Life or death. Pretty much lived my life avoiding anything this real."

"It takes some getting used to," Chuck says.

"What do you want me to do?" Tyler asks.

"We would like for you to perform tonight at your special concert," Bela explains.

"That's madness; people are trying to kill me!"

"Yes, and you can help us catch him," Chuck says. "You can help the world, the entire world by doing this for real."

"You could go back to living your life again," Bela whispers. "One night of bravery, for an entire life of normalcy… I can't even tell you what I'd give for that-what Chuck would give for that."

"How do I know I can trust them?" Tyler asks, nodding to the door. "Your people."

"Because we do," Chuck says, Bela nodding.

"They're the best," she assures him. "We stake our lives on it everyday."

"I've got one thing to say," Tyler says before grinning. "Hello Cleveland."

"It's Burbank," Chuck corrects.

"Right," Tyler nods. "I'm dyslexic."

* * *

"Your phone," Bela says, nodding at Chuck. He quickly takes it out before answering it.

"Chuck," Casey says.

"Yeah, we're here," he says.

"Don't let Tyler hit the stage until we give the okay," he says.

"Okay, got it," Chuck says, hanging up.

"Everything alright?" Bela asks and he nods.

They look up hesitantly as someone knocks on the dressing room door.

"Oh…" Tyler grins, standing up.

"Wait, wait, no," Chuck says, stopping him.

"Yeah, you get it," Tyler says, turning back to the mirror.

"Open this door," Akmed says as Chuck looks through the peep hole.

"It's him, it's him," he says, turning to the others.

"Who?" Tyler asks.

"The guy who's trying to kill you," Bela says exasperated.

"Here! I thought you said we were safe!"

"I know you're in there Mister Martin," Akmed calls through the door.

"I need a drink," Tyler says, grabbing a bottle.

"That's a good idea," Bela says before Chuck pulls her back.

"No, no, that's-hey, get in there," Chuck says, directing Tyler to the wardrobe. "Get in there, get back there."

"What about you two?" he asks.

"We'll be alright, just stay in the closet," Bela says before pausing. "Wait. Take off your shirt."

"Alright," he grins and she rolls her eyes.

"No, just trust me," she says, taking a photo of the tattoo on his back before shutting him in the wardrobe.

"Sarah it's Chuck," he says into his phone.

"Chuck, what is it?" she asks.

"Akmed is right outside of the dressing room, but we don't know what happened to the guards."

"Okay just stay right where you are I'm coming."

"Sarah, look I didn't need the night off you were right it's something else I should have told you," Chuck says hurriedly before Akmed smashes through the door, knocking him to the ground.

"Oh God," Bela says, staring wide eyed at Akmed as she helps Chuck to his feet. "I think maybe you have the wrong room."

"Tell me where he is," he orders.

"Tell you where who is?" she asks, gulping as he slides a knife out of his sleeve. "Oh! Where _he_ is! Where Tyler is!"

"He skipped out, we don't know where he is so sorry," Chuck says quickly. "He's gone."

"He's in the closet," Akmed says, scoffing at the two before making his way towards it.

"Okay, you got us yeah worst plan ever but we know about the tattoo," Bela says, stopping him. "We know what it means."

"You and your private army are rich in Uranium, selling it to unstable countries using Tyler's manager and his tattoos to pass the info off to your buyers," Chuck explains as Bela holds up a picture of Tyler's back on her phone. "You take one more step, and she sends that email and everyone knows, proving that the cell is mightier than the sword… or very large knife, as it might be in this case."

"Put it down," Bela says. "Put it down!"

Akmed slowly sets the knife down on the table, Tyler choosing that moment to rush out of the closet with a cymbal.

"No!" Chuck yells.

"I can't let you do this for me, guys!" Tyler explains.

"Actually our plan was working _very_ well!" Bela sighs, Akmed and Tyler both glancing at the knife.

They both lunge for it, Akmed knocking Tyler into the others as they fall through the door.

"Follow us!" Chuck says as they get to their feet.

"Tyler, what's going on man?" his manager asks as he rushes over.

"Kevin, you're fired!" Tyler yells, punching him in the face before following the others.

"Sarah, we're running to the stage he's right behind us!" Chuck yells into his watch.

"Are you okay?" she asks.

"Yeah, yeah just get us out of here!"

"Good, good, okay come on," Tyler pants as they reach the stage.

"Holy crap," Bela whispers, Chuck and her staring out at the people as Tyler stands in front of the mic.

"What do we do now?" Chuck asks as they glance at Akmed behind them, holding the knife.

"Jump," Tyler says, nodding at the crowd.

"What!" Bela yells.

"Jump," he repeats.

They look back at Akmed before frowning, the three jumping out into the people.

"Go with it, guys," Tyler says. "Relax."

"People are groping me!" Bela growls, turning to Chuck.

She sees Akmed across the room, the two locking eyes as he makes his way towards her.

"Chuck!" she yells, panicked.

He looks over at her before noticing Akmed, sighing in relief as Casey and Sarah block him in.

"Oh thank God," Bela whispers as Sarah knocks him out, Casey dragging him out of the crowd.

"They got him!" Chuck yells to Tyler. "See I told you they were the best!"

"Yeah, alright then," Tyler nods. "Back to the stage, I want to sing now."

"Alright like he said, back to the stage," Chuck says.

"Who the hell are you man?" someone asks before Chuck is dropped to the ground, Bela receiving somewhat better treatment as she gets assisted down onto her feet.

* * *

"I can't believe my manager's going to jail," Tyler says as they leave Casey's apartment. "Think about it, no privacy it'd be like hell on bloody earth."

"Yeah," Bela laughs before glaring at Casey. "Tell me about it."

"You understand why you're gonna have to get your tattoos removed, right?" Casey asks.

"Oh yeah, yeah," Tyler nods. "I hear you're the guy to talk to to get more of those tasty tranq darts."

Casey growls before walking off.

"Thanks guys," Tyler says, turning to Chuck and Bela.

"Oh, hey it was nothing," Chuck says.

"No, it was everything," Tyler says. "You've taught me to put people in front of myself. It felt kind of wonderful. I can strike that off the list now. If you ever want to party, you know where to come."

"Yeah, actually I don't think that's my scene," Chuck says.

"Smart man, Chuck," he nods before turning to Bela. "Goodbye, darling."

"Bye, Tyler," she smiles, allowing him to pull her into a hug.

He pulls back, grinning at her before quickly pressing his lips against hers.

"Took long enough," Chuck laughs, turning away.

"_Goodbye_, Tyler," Bela smirks once they pull apart.

"Alright, time to go," he says, waving at the two before leaving as Sarah joins them.

"I'm gonna talk to Casey real quick," Bela says, leaving the two alone.

"What're you doing, come to get more stuff?" Casey grunts, barely glancing at her.

"We need to talk," she whispers and he sighs, turning to face her.

"You're the one that left, Bela," he says. "You're _always_ the one to leave."

"Because leaving's easier!" she yells before stopping, sitting on the armrest of the couch as she stares at her feet. "It's easier than talking. But… I miss… you, and so… I'll talk."

She looks up as he stands in front of her, resting his hands on her shoulders.

"I don't like talking about this stuff either," he says.

"Then can we just go back to how we were?" she asks hopefully and he smirks.

"You'll move back in?" he asks and she nods, standing.

He growls as she presses herself against him, running his hands down her sides before he steps back.

"What?" she whispers, staring at him confused.

"Walker and I have a mission," he says, grabbing a duffel bag.

"But-" she says, Casey cutting her off as he kisses her.

"We'll be back tomorrow," he says, opening the door.

"Hey, what's this, what's going on?" Chuck asks as they walk out into the courtyard.

"New mission," Sarah says, taking a bag from Casey. "We'll see you tomorrow; Bela, you've got the spare key."

"Wait, a new mission what kind of new mission?" Chuck asks.

"It's fine, guys, we've got it," Sarah smiles at the two before following Casey. She tosses her bag in the trunk before sliding into the passenger seat.

"Finally, a mission without Bartowski," he grins, rubbing his hands together. "I'm gonna enjoy this."

"Hey guys," Chuck interrupts, both Bela and him climbing in the back seat. "Where are we going?"

Casey and Sarah stare at them confused.

"Well come on Casey, no time for a break we've got work to do," Bela teases, leaning against his seat.

Sarah and Chuck exchange grins as Casey starts the engine, taking off.

* * *

A/N: Next is the Valentine's Day chapter… with Chuck and Sarah moving to the Suburbs!


	27. Chuck vs The Suburbs

A/N: Ahh Valentine's Day and Team Chuck celebrates by having an undercover mission in the suburbs, with Chuck and Sarah posing as a married couple. Please review!

* * *

"Where have you been!" Chuck asks as Bela finally joins him at her car.

"I had to pick something up after work-I _told_ you this earlier," she laughs, unlocking the doors before tossing her shopping in the back.

"So whaddya buy?" he asks as she pulls out of the Buy More parking lot.

"It's personal," she says, smirking as he grabs the bag regardless.

"Ew! Underwear!" he says after inspecting its contents. "God, did you buy that for Casey?"

"No!" she laughs. "It's for me."

"That's what I meant," he says, tossing the bag back on the backseat. "I guess I don't have to ask what _your_ plans are for tonight are, then."

"You can ask, but I can assure you that you don't want to hear the answer," she teases. "What are your plans for Valentine's?"

"Well Sarah and I _were_ going to have a night off from our cover-"

"Wait, what?" she asks, confused. "Why would you do that?"

"We're not like Casey and you, what are we gonna do for Valentine's?" he scoffs.

"Gee, I don't know talk about your feelings since you won't admit them to each other any other time!" she says exasperated. "Really, Chuck, you two _could_ be like Casey and me if you'd just tell her how you feel."

"Yes, because when you told Casey how you felt that went down extremely well," he snorts, Bela turning to glare at him.

"That was different," she growls. "Besides, we're pretending that never happened."

"You two are insane," he laughs.

"Anyway, Sarah and you? Valentine's Day?"

"Sarah's coming 'round at eight," he says and she nods.

"Well, as long as you two keep to yourselves things will be fine," she grins, pulling into her car park.

"Trust me, there's not a chance in hell that we'll come knocking on Casey's door, I can assure you of that," he promises as she grabs her shopping.

She locks the vehicle before the two make their way into the courtyard.

"Hmm, have a good night," she smiles, waving at him before entering Casey's apartment.

"Where the hell have you been!" he asks, making his way over to her as soon as the door closes.

"What is with people today-I told _you_ that I had to go shopping after work as well, doesn't anybody listen!" she sighs.

"Sorry," he apologises, glancing down at the bag. "What's that?"

"It's a surprise," she grins, tossing her keys on the counter before moving past him. "Casey?"

"Yeah?" he asks, locking the door.

"Make me a drink?" she asks sweetly, pausing at the bottom of the stairs.

"Of what?" he scoffs, making his way into the kitchen.

"You know what I drink," she laughs, shaking her head.

"Vodka?"

"With Kahlua," she beams as he shakes his head.

"That's cheating, that's two drinks in one," he mutters as she continues up the stairs.

"Thank you!" she calls over her shoulder.

He makes her drink, hesitating as he wonders whether to water it down or not. She made the decision for him as she jogged down the stairs, interrupting his plan.

"Happy Valentine's Day," she smiles, grabbing her drink from him.

He glances at her before frowning, taking his own drink into the living room and sitting down.

"What?" she asks, trying not to laugh.

"Nothing," he mutters, and she grins as she pulls the sweatshirt over her head. "What're you-?"

"You didn't think that's what I was _really_ gonna wear did you?" she laughs.

He stares at the underwear she was wearing, setting his drink down on the coffee table.

"It's very-" he starts before clearing his throat. "It's very red."

"Well don't get too attached," she smirks. "It won't be on that long, after all."

He chuckles, pulling her down onto his lap.

"Hmm, let me finish my drink," she says, quickly downing the liquor. "What?"

"Are you trying to get drunk?" he asks and she grins.

"You know it'll take a hell of a lot more than one black Russian to even get me tipsy," she whispers, pressing against him. "Something tells me you've missed me."

"Ohh, I've missed you alright," he growls as she rolls her hips into his.

She shivers as his hands skim down her sides, his thumbs hooking in her underwear.

"Something's beeping," she moans as his hands cup her ass. "Casey."

"Shh," he growls, his lips covering hers as she laughs before turning her head to the side.

"Something is beeping!" she says, frowning as he pauses.

He looks around before noticing something flashing on the television screen.

"Beckman!" he hisses and she quickly climbs off of him, scrambling behind the chair before he activates the satellite link.

"I hope I'm not interrupting," Beckman says, nodding at his glass of whiskey on the table.

"What can I do for you general?" he asks, clearing his throat.

"LAPD just picked up one of ours," she explains, a picture coming up on screen. "The agent's name is Jim Yeager, he's been missing for over a year although he was presumed to be on a covert domestic assignment; unfortunately we have no record of this assignment and so far the subject has been… uncooperative."

"Cat's got his tongue, huh?" Casey asks. "You want me to take a crack at him?"

"As you can see his mental state is fragile enough already," she says, a video of Agent Yeager coming up on the screen. He was strapped to a hospital bed, struggling against the binds. "The subject's last confirmed location comes from a phone call traced to this LA cul-de-sac.

"Yeager was living in the valley?" Casey scoffs. "No wonder he went nuts, right?"

"We took the liberty of purchasing a home there to serve as a base of operations," she continues.

"Can you zoom in on that, please?" Casey asks, pointing at the video of Yeager. "What's that he keeps saying?"

"Salamander," she says. "Possible codename for his enemy contact; our best guess, he chose this location for its proximity to a sleeper cell. I need for someone to resume Yeager's assignment; identify his contact and infiltrate their terrorist network."

"I don't know how well I'd fit in with those people, General, and Bela-"

"No, not you two Major Casey," she says slowly. "We need a normal couple."

He nods, clearing his throat once she ends the transmission.

"She's gone," he says, Bela crawling out from behind the chair.

"That was close…" she says slowly, glancing up at him. "Who're you texting."

"Walker; the sooner I let them know about their mission, the sooner we can get back to… earlier."

She grins as he helps her to her feet, his hands resting on her hips before he pulls back.

"What now?" she sighs as he goes through his desk.

"They need rings," he says as she pulls on the sweatshirt from earlier.

"Those are Bryce and my rings," she frowns, her eyes widening as she realises what she said.

"These were the rings from _that_ mission," Casey corrects. "Now they're being used for another mission."

She nods, following him outside into the courtyard where Chuck and Sarah were waiting.

"I'm afraid you two are going to have to drop your dating cover for this particular assignment," Casey says.

"No problem," Sarah says.

"What is it?" Chuck asks. "Thai street racing game? A Ukrainian prostitution ring?"

"No," he says. "For this mission you and Agent Walker are gonna be married."

Their eyes widen as he holds up the rings.

"Hey, aren't they the rings Bryce and you-" Chuck starts before Bela interrupts him.

"Yes," she nods. "Yes, they are. Apparently they are just mission rings, and they're now yours. For this mission. Where you will be married."

"You two kids are going to the Suburbs," Casey smirks. "Good luck as a normal couple."

Chuck stares at the ring before he glances at Bela, snorting.

"What?" she asks confused.

"That's what you bought today!" he laughs, nodding at the large sweatshirt she had on.

"Shut up," she growls, glaring at him.

"Should see what's under it," Casey says, causing Bela to whack him in the chest.

"I asked for that one," Chuck says, slowly turning to Sarah.

"Have fun," Bela grins. "We're continuing our night, now. Enjoy the rest of yours!"

Casey chuckles as she drags him back to the apartment.

* * *

"Chuck's here," Bela says, moving into the living room.

"Finally," Sarah smiles, making her way out to greet him. "Hey."

"I'm sorry but who's life have I stepped into?" he asks, following her. "What are you doing?"

"What does it look like I'm doing, I'm making potato salad," she says, setting down the large bowl.

"Are you cooking for the entire neighbourhood?" he jokes before she hands him a plate of uncooked meat.

"No Chuck, you are," she grins.

"Hey, there's the grillmeister!" one of their new neighbours says, waving.

"Don't forget, one of our new neighbours is a suspected terrorist," Sarah reminds him.

He nods, turning around as Bela walks into the room.

"Bells?" he asks, hiding a smile.

"Get that grin off your face _now_," she growls.

"You do know that maids don't actually wear that specific uniform, right?" he asks as she continues to glare at him. "I'm… gonna go. Grill. Mingle."

"You do that," she says, watching Sarah and him move outside.

"What's up?" Casey asks, gaining her attention.

"This sickens me," she says, screwing her face up. "The happy couples, the perfect houses, it's wrong."

"You don't have to tell me that," he mutters, glancing outside with a disgusted expression.

"I can't believe one of them is a suspected terrorist," she sighs, watching them. "They're all so… _boring_."

"Yeah, well I think your boy Bartowski is enjoying himself," he nods.

"He's not my boy," she frowns, but follows his gaze anyway and seeing Chuck laughing with the other husbands. "He's just playing the part… he's hating this."

"Keep telling yourself that, sweetheart," Casey chuckles. "You flashed on anyone, yet?"

"No," she frowns, shaking her head. "Nothing, I think they're clean."

He nods before making his way over to the window.

"Mr. and Mrs. Carmichael, come inside please," he says. "There's a slight problem with your cable."

She watches him hold up a beeping device as Chuck and Sarah join them in the kitchen.

"This food is for the guests," Chuck says, Bela ignoring him as she reaches for a brownie.

"Wait," Casey says, holding the device over the tray as it beeps faster.

He reaches under it, pulling out a bug.

"Looks like one of ours," he says, Chuck and Bela flashing on it.

"Uh, correction that _was_ one of ours," Chuck says.

"That bug was stolen from a CIA substation in Omaha in '06," Bela explains. "Now it belongs to Fulcrum."

"And here I thought we were looking for a garden variety terrorist," Sarah sighs.

"Better hurry up, buddy," one of the neighbours calls out. "Your wieners are burning!"

Casey and Bela turn around, pretending to work as Chuck and Sarah smile at their neighbours crowding around the kitchen window.

* * *

"Stop it!" Bela laughs, moving away from Casey as they enter the break room.

"Wipe that look off your face," Casey says, snatching the piece of paper Chuck was holding.

"What, that's Sarah's…" he starts before Casey shines a torch down on the back of the grocery list.

"Invisible ink!" Bela grins, clearing her throat as the two stare at her. "I think it's neat. Why couldn't she just use the phone, though?"

"We're dealing with Fulcrum here, they bugged the house they'll bug the phones, this is why we have to do it the old fashioned way," Casey explains to her.

"Location clear, target on move," Chuck reads. "Wait you guys figured out who planted the bug?"

"Yeah," Casey says, opening a file and pulling out a surveillance photo. "Ring any bells?"

"Yeah that's crazy cougar lady's husband," Chuck says, Bela snorting at this. "How do you know it's him?"

"Well while you and Walker were busy playing house, we were doing some old fashioned spy work," Casey says.

"Pulled the fingerprint off the bug and ran it through the database," Bela beams.

"So who was this guy before Fulcrum?" Chuck asks.

"CIA Psy-ops," he says. "Agency shrinks, real bunch of weirdos. Also ran his bank records; turns out he bought enough of this stuff to stretch from here to Gardena. Infiniband Data Line; same stuff we use to tap into the agency's intranet. Any idea what your neighbour was using it for?"

"Uh, I don't know online gaming?" Chuck guesses.

"Porn?" Bela suggests.

"Or?" Casey asks, shaking his head at her in disbelief. "Hacking into Government servers."

"Or hacking into Government servers, I was gonna say that eventually," she shrugs.

"Okay great, I'm glad you guys cracked it," Chuck says. "Glad I could help."

"You can help by getting us into that house and onto that computer," Casey says.

"You want us to go in as Nerd Herd?" he asks.

"Wrong again, Bartowski," he says. "You're gonna go in the old fashioned way."

* * *

"You want me to sleep with our neighbour Sylvia!" Chuck yells in disbelief.

"No we want you to pretend to want to sleep with her and see if you can get on her Fulcrum husband's PC and see if either of you flash on anything. Bela will be working there anyway; one of you just needs to distract her while the other inspects the computer. You wanna throw in a little sex, that's your prerogative."

Chuck coughs as Casey sprays him with cologne, Bela leaving the room to change.

"Whatever Casey I just don't know how Sarah's gonna feel about this," he says. "There's no way she's gonna just let her husband sleep with some-"

"You ready?" Sarah asks, joining them. "Chuck look I'm sorry but this is our best option."

"Target's got the house rigged with state of the art security, since his wife's expressed romantic interest in you…"

"We need you to exploit it," Sarah interrupts.

"Oh, exploit it! Got ya," Chuck says. "Yeah, text book CIA."

"Casey and I will be with you every step of the way," Sarah promises.

"Yeah if the cougar gets a little hairy you can always tap out," Casey says, Chuck staring at him confused.

"Look, we understand if this makes you uncomfortable-" Sarah starts.

"Breaking my fake wedding vowels? Nah, forget about it I'm golden," Chuck says before turning to Casey. "Just hit me with another spritz of that would ya?"

Casey sprays his neck with the cologne before smirking and spraying his crotch.

"Why here!" Chuck asks, Sarah shaking her head at Casey.

"Right, I'm ready," Bela says, ignoring them as she ties up her coat.

Sarah leads Chuck off as Casey grabs Bela's arm, stopping her from following.

"What?" she asks, warily eying the cologne in his hand. "Spray me and you're dead."

He grins, setting it down on the table before pulling her to him.

"You know what you have to do?" he asks, waiting for her to nod. "Anything happens at all, you think you're in danger tell us and we'll be there okay? Even if you have to leave Bartowski."

"I'd never leave Chuck," she says, shaking her head. "That's ridiculous, besides we'll be fine."

* * *

"Mister Carmichael, I didn't expect you to come so quickly," Sylvia says, opening the door.

"Charles Carmichael _always_ comes quickly," Chuck says, Bela doubling over in the living room as she hides her laughter from the two.

"Real smooth, Bartowski," Casey says over their earpieces.

"Come on in," she smiles, turning to Bela. "We'll be upstairs; _do not_ disturb us so keep out of my room until we're done."

"Yes, ma'am," Bela nods, winking at Chuck as he follows her.

"The cable enters the house on the northwest corner; upstairs," Casey says.

"Got it, I'll give 'em a minute then get up there," Bela answers, continuing the vacuuming. "Or less than a minute."

She shuts off the machine, making her way to the staircase.

"Just… taking… this… upstairs," Bela smiles, hauling the vacuum upstairs as Sylvia passes her.

She lets out a breath, shaking her head as Chuck rushes towards her in his underwear, handcuffs hanging from his wrist.

"Shut up," he says, pulling her into the computer room. "Damn it, password protected."

The two glance at the desk, Bela picking up a small salamander ornament.

"Salamander," she shrugs, watching as he types it in. It unlocks the computer, red writing coming up on screen initiating the test sequence.

They stare at the screen wide eyed as images flash in front of them continuously until all of a sudden it stops, the test sequence being successful.

The two slowly turn to look at each other before fainting.

"Guys, you have to get out of there," Sarah says through their earpieces. "Chuck? Bela?"

"Stay where you are Agent Walker I'm going in after them," Casey says.

"Oh God," Bela gasps, her eyes wide as she stares into Chuck's. "What just… did we just… again?"

"Yeah," he says, helping her up. "Come on, we gotta get out of here!"

"How?" she asks, quickly backing away as he opens the window. "No-no! Chuck, I can't!"

"Just give me your hand, we have to leave _now_!" he growls, helping her out onto the roof over the garage before following.

The scramble across until they see a fence, Bela carefully jumping down before waiting for Chuck to join her.

"Are you okay?" she asks after he falls into a bush.

"Fine," he says, brushing himself off.

They make their way down the street before she suddenly stops, Chuck turning to her confused.

"What!" he asks.

"I can't go back with you-people are-they're _staring_ at us!" she hisses.

"Then find Casey," he growls, awkwardly making his way to Sarah.

"What happened?" Casey asks, causing her to jump.

"Uh, long story," she says, running a hand through her hair as they watch Sarah slap Chuck. "Ouch."

* * *

"I send you there undercover, and you not only nearly expose the intersects to Fulcrum but to an entire cul-de-sac of civilians!" Beckman yells.

"No excuses, General," Casey says. "We pooched it."

"No! No, we didn't pooch it, we didn't pooch it!" Chuck protests.

"General, look we both saw something on that computer okay?" Bela says. "We saw… pictures."

"How illuminating," Beckman deadpans.

"General, they weren't regular pictures," Chuck adds. "They were like intersect pictures, embedded files like the ones that Bryce sent me only… very different."

"We think Chuck and Bela could have Fulcrum programming in their brains," Sarah says.

"In that case, I am pulling Bartowski and Tiernan from this operation," Beckman says angrily. "Walker's cover is intact, I want you two to lock down the cul-de-sac, monitor Fulcrum and see what else you can uncover _before_ we make a move on their cell. The _Carmichael's_ are getting a divorce."

* * *

"Does your head feel different?" Bela asks as Chuck joins her in the break room. "I think my head feels different."

"You're insane, you know that?" he snorts, opening his locker.

"We might well be now, with this new programming in our heads! Every day we could be getting crazier and crazier..."

The grocery list Sarah wrote him falls out, and he quickly picks it up before pausing as he flashes on the Meadow Branch logo at the bottom.

"What?" she asks, watching him as he slides it in front of her. "Oh, shit. They're all Fulcrum."

"We've got to warn the others," he says, pulling out his phone as they rush out the door.

* * *

"Let's go," Chuck says, Bela and him climbing out of his car before running towards their fake house.

"Looking for the wife?" one of the neighbours asks. "She's having a chat with the ladies."

"Hmm," Bela mumbles as they flash on him, revealing him to be an agent named Brad White.

"You two feeling alright?" he asks cheerfully.

"Chuck," Bela whispers, nodding behind him. He turns around to see the rest of the cul-de-sac watching them, the two flashing on each person before being tasered.

* * *

"Where's Sarah? Where's my wife?" Chuck asks groggily as he wakes up in some kind of lab.

"Mister Carmichael, she isn't your wife," Sylvia says, Sarah watching the two through the glass window. "She's a CIA agent. And so are you."

He looks up as they drag Bela into the room.

"No, she's not a part of this!" Chuck yells, struggling against his binds.

"It's okay," she says, staring at him as they strap her into the chair next to him.

"Test them both, if it doesn't work on him there's a chance that she'll be responsive to the test," Sylvia says.

"What do you want with us?" Chuck asks.

"You two have got very special brains," Brad says, checking their heart rates. "Don't worry, we're gonna do everything we can to not damage them."

"Damage?" Bela asks anxiously. "Damage? What is he talking about?"

"What you saw upstairs was a small part of the computer program," Sylvia explains. "The CIA designed it to implant intelligence directly into agents through coded images."

"But the CIA gave up on the program," Brad says. "They decided to slug it out, fighting the war on terror using cold war tactics."

"But we're training agents who are ready to fight tomorrow's wars," Sylvia says.

"How would you two like to be a part of that future?" Brad asks.

"How would you like to be part of Fulcrum?" Sylvia adds.

"Where's Casey?" Bela growls.

"The large one? We took care of him," Brad says, Bela freezing as she hears this before struggling against her restraints.

"No!" she screams. "You son of a bitch!"

"What about-what about her?" Chuck asks his eyes on Sarah. "Look I'll do whatever you want just let her go."

"Don't tell me you have _feelings_ for your partner?" Sylvia smirks.

"Wow, you really let her get into your head huh?" Brad laughs, Bela glaring at him.

"What did she tell you?" Sylvia asks. "That someday you two could be together? Maybe settle down in a cute little cul-de-sac like this one?"

"Shut up!" Bela yells.

"This place isn't real," Sylvia whispers in Chuck's ear. "Her feelings for you aren't real."

"Don't worry, this next part will help you both get over your partner's," Brad says, securing their eye lids open.

"You okay?" Chuck asks Bela as the agents leave the room.

She continues to sniffle, wishing she could wipe the tears from her eyes.

"No," she says, a sob breaking free.

"I'm sorry," he whispers, managing to slide his hand across to cover hers. "I'm sorry about John, Bells."

She nods as the lights flicker and the screens in front of them load up with the many images again. They both scream, shaking in the chairs that held them.

Sarah watches in horror from the other room, helpless to do anything. She swallows hard as the test finishes, the agents moving back into the room and dragging her with them.

"Chuck! Bela!" she calls out.

"Ahh, she's toast," Brad says, unstrapping Bela and tossing her on the ground.

"Bela!" Sarah yells, struggling against them. "No!"

"Ah!" Chuck screams, jumping as they begin to unstrap him. "What just happened?"

"Mister Carmichael," Sylvia grins. "Do you know where you are Mister Carmichael?"

"Beneath Meadow Branch subdivision in a Fulcrum lab that was built as part of a secret initiative," he says groggily.

"What initiative?"

"To rebuild the intersect computer," he answers.

"Oh my God, it worked," Brad smirks.

"Can I ask just one more question?" Sylvia smiles. "You mind if we uh, test your _wife_ next?"

"Wife?" he asks, staring up at her. "I don't have a wife."

He slowly stands, moving away from the chair as they strap Sarah into it.

Chuck clenches his fists as he sees Bela on the ground, quickly averting his gaze and noticing Casey in the other room with the computer. He winks at him before turning back to the others.

"Before you run the test I'd like to tell Agent Walker something," Chuck says.

"Agent Walker," Sylvia grins. "Now we have a name."

Sarah stares up at him wide eyed before noticing Casey as well.

"Close your eyes," Chuck whispers, leaning towards her.

She quickly squeezes them shut, Chuck pulling her against his chest as the test begins. He holds her close as the agents scream, falling to the floor as the test finishes.

"Are you okay?" Chuck asks, unstrapping her before rushing over to Bela.

"Bells," he whispers, kneeling beside her as Casey walks in.

"Where is-" he starts before seeing them on the ground. "No!"

He pushes Chuck aside, pulling her up in his arms. "Bela! Damn you, wake up!"

"Check her pulse," Sarah says, leaning over them.

Chuck gently lifts her wrist, sighing in relief as he feels her pulse.

They jump as Bela suddenly gasps, her eyes opening wide as she pushes everyone away from her.

"Hey," Casey says. "Bela? Bela, it's Casey; John."

He watches her curiously before she shoves him aside, pulling her hair back as she heaves on the ground.

"Oh man," Chuck says, beginning to gag at the sight.

"Quick, out," Sarah says, dragging him into the hallway.

"I feel sick," Bela says, moving to her knees.

"Good," Casey says before noticing her frown. "It means you're not _dead_, sweetheart."

She flinches at this and he notices.

"What?" he asks.

"They told me you were dead," she says, her voice cracking. "They asked me to join Fulcrum, and then said that they'd killed you."

"I'm fine," he says, slowly helping her up. "I'm more worried about you."

"I'm fine," she says, resting a hand against her head. "Just get me out of here."

He nods, wrapping his arm around her securely as he leads her out of the room.

* * *

"Chuck!" Casey yells, poking his head in his window.

"Shh!" he says, nodding at Bela sleeping next to him.

"What's she even doing here?" he asks, Chuck confused at his question.

"Uh, maybe because we're best friends and she always comes here," he mutters before receiving an annoyed growl from Casey. "And because she always comes here after work while she waits for you to finish."

"She does?" he frowns, glancing over at her.

"Uh huh," Chuck says, awkwardly glancing at him before back to his paused game.

"Right," Casey nods, carefully picking Bela up and holding her close.

"You could've left her here," Chuck mutters.

"Careful, Bartowski," Casey warns as he moves down the hallway. "Has she been sick today?"

"No, we're _both_ fine thanks for asking," Chuck says, holding the front door open for him. "She was her normal self at work, neither of us have flashed on anything else."

"Right," Casey nods, waiting for Chuck to unlock his apartment before pushing past him. "Leave the key on the table, then you _leave_."

"You're welcome," Chuck mocks, quickly pulling the door shut before Casey can say anything.

"What are you doing?" Bela mumbles sleepily as he sets her down on his bed.

"Shh," he says, kicking his shoes off before joining her.

"Where's Chuck?" she asks, causing him to frown.

"I brought you home," he mutters and she yawns, nodding before moving closer against him. His anger disappears and he wraps an arm around her, kissing her softly before closing his eyes.

* * *

A/N: Oh no, so now Team Bartowski/Tiernan have Fulcrum programming in their heads! What could this mean for them? Next the two have to choose between their friendship with Morgan and their job to complete a mission involving Anna's new boyfriend.


	28. Chuck vs The Best Friend

A/N: Chuck and Bela realize just what being a spy entails when they have to betray Morgan in order to complete a mission. Please review!

* * *

"Alright, check it out," Morgan says, bringing up a picture of Anna on the home theatre screen.

"A picture of your ex girlfriend?" Chuck asks, Bela frowning. "That's why we had to come in here on our coffee break?"

"Anna Melinda Wu," Morgan continues, Bela shifting uncomfortably between Chuck and Lester. "Five-two, ninety six pounds, of Chinese descent-"

"Why are we in here talking about your ex?" Bela asks.

"Because today I need your help on a mission," he says, Chuck and Bela exchanging looks.

"What kind of mission?" Chuck asks.

"A spy mission," Lester whispers.

"Can you handle it?" Jeff asks, sitting in the seat to their left.

"See, I'm afraid Anna may be seeing a new guy," Morgan sighs.

"Whoa, whoa hey, time out," Bela says, staring up at him. "You want us to _spy_ on Anna?"

"Of course not, you and Chuck would be there for moral support you're not skilled in spy craft," Morgan explains. "No that's where Lester and Jeff come in."

"Does it shock you that eighty percent of my encounters with women have been completely without their knowledge?" Jeff asks.

"Honestly, I'm more surprised by the other twenty percent, Jeff," Chuck says, Bela nodding her agreement. "Look buddy, I know you're going through a tough time but I don't feel comfortable stalking another human being."

"Dude it's not stalking," Morgan interrupts. "Okay, it's caring enough about someone to learn things about them that they won't tell you themselves."

"Which is stalking," Bela adds.

"And, I really need you guys on this one," Morgan says. "So…"

"Fine," they sigh.

"Excellent!" Morgan grins. "We meet after work."

"Can't wait," Chuck grins, turning to Bela.

"Hmm, yeah," she beams.

* * *

"What've we agreed to?" Chuck whispers to Bela as they stop next to a van in the parking lot.

She shivers in her coat as Jeff slides open the door.

"Whoa," Bela says, staring at the van. "What is this place?"

"Whatever our friend Jeffrey here doesn't guzzle down his throat he spends on spy gear," Lester explains. "Incredible, right?"

"Incredibly creepy," Chuck corrects.

"Hey ladies, let's go man your posts," Morgan says, joining them.

"This is disgusting," Bela gags, climbing into the front with Lester as Chuck, Morgan and Jeff man the back.

"Uhh we have visual acquisition of the target," Morgan informs them, staring out the window with binoculars.

"We got ears on her," Jeff says.

"Subject is on the move," Lester adds, starting up the van before keeping a distance behind Anna.

* * *

"Guys, we can't do this, we shouldn't be doing this now," Chuck says after they pull up outside a restaurant. "I mean we're like crazy stalkers."

"Shh, Charles please!" Lester hisses.

"Would you just stop and think about what you're doing for a second," Bela sighs.

"Guys, I know exactly what I'm doing I'm getting answers," Morgan says.

"Yeah, but there are other ways of doing that," she says.

"Yeah no absolutely but we tried cloning Anna's cell but she's got a CDMA carrier so we couldn't copy the sim card," Lester explains, Bela staring at him in disbelief. "What?"

"Wait, wait, wait, there's a guy," Morgan says, lifting the binoculars to his eyes. "There's a guy just showed up."

"Morgan, let me see, let me see," Lester says, taking them from him. "Ooh, maybe it's her brother?"

Morgan sighs as Anna kisses the guy, Jeff lowering the binoculars.

"Still, could be her brother," he says, the others staring at him.

"Alright, let's pack it up-abort mission," Morgan orders. "I mean, I can't compete with this guy; he's got healthy hair, a clean smile, and a killer car."

Chuck takes a look at the car through the binoculars, flashing on the license plate before handing them to Bells.

"License plate," he whispers and she nods, receiving the same flashes.

"Look at him," Morgan sighs. "I mean he's my worst nightmare."

"Yeah, I trust your instincts pal," Chuck agrees.

* * *

"Uh, the General will be available to talk about the Jason Wang situation momentarily," Sarah says after hanging up.

"What?" Casey asks, Bela chuckling beside him.

"It's a funny name," she mutters, turning her head at his annoyed look. "_Wang_."

"Hey, how come you guys have these in here anyway?" Chuck asks, picking up a package of tennis balls. "I mean, do you play?"

"They're not toys, Chuck; if you pop the top they're white phosphorous grenades they can melt iron," Sarah grins as Chuck gently sets them back down.

"What are these, mini flame throwers?" Bela snorts, picking up something else.

"Mint flavoured knock out spray," Casey corrects, her eyes widening.

"Ohh, do you think we could have one of these because we're always really vulnerable out there," Bela asks, smiling at the small container.

Casey growls as he walks past her and she quickly hands Chuck one.

"Jason Wang, Anna Wu's new boyfriend," General Beckman says, coming up on screen. "Wang's a car importer and while he has no criminal record he runs with a dangerous crew of local triad gangsters."

"A gang responsible for smuggling guns, drugs and other weapons in and out of Los Angeles," Sarah adds.

"Correct, Agent Walker; we've been watching the local triad for a while but didn't know about Wang's involvement before the intersect's flash."

"Well, you're welcome," Chuck says sarcastically. "You really don't have to thank us. Not that you are thanking us, I guess you're really just kind of making a statement, continue."

"Your mission is to determine the depths of Wang's connection to triad," she says. "Chuck and Bela, you will use your social connection to infiltrate the suspect."

"Um, excuse me General but just to clarify," Bela starts before Chuck interrupts.

"You want me to befriend my best friend's ex girlfriend's new boyfriend?" he asks.

"Is there a problem Mister Bartowski?" Beckman asks.

"No, no, no, not a-not a problem," he mutters.

She ends the link as Chuck and Bela glance at each other.

"We've got a big problem here."

* * *

"We can't do this, how can the General ask us to do this I mean was the woman born with stars on her shoulder?" Chuck growls. "Has she never had a friend before?"

"I mean, I'm friends with Morgan _and_ Anna," Bela adds. "But even I can't just go hang out with her and her new boyfriend like it's no big deal!"

"I understand that this might be difficult with regard to Morgan-" Sarah starts.

"No, no, no, not difficult, not happening!" Chuck interrupts her. "Morgan has been my best friend since kindergarten and I don't even know what he would do if he found out."

"I'm sorry, but this is not optional it's a direct order."

"I can't betray one of my best friends, how come nobody gets that!" Chuck yells, looking around.

"I'll do it," Bela says suddenly. "Chuck won't have to be apart of it at all, he can stay in the van and I'll do… something."

"Now when we say _befriend_ Anna's new boyfriend," Casey says, gaining her attention. "That doesn't mean sex or sexual acts of any kind."

"What is wrong with you!" she yells, shaking her head at him in disbelief. "Oh my God, Casey."

Chuck stares at him before quickly following.

"That was unnecessary," Sarah adds, frowning.

"She needed to be clear," he shrugs.

* * *

"So…" Chuck says, glancing across at Bela.

"I hate wedding and all wedding related things, so no, you will be receiving no help from me," she says, shaking her head. "Besides, I have a new boyfriend to befriend."

"Good luck with that," he smirks before returning his attention to the CDs in front of him.

"Anna," Bela smiles, interrupting what looked to be an awkward conversation between her and Morgan. "Hi, can I talk to you?"

"Actually-" Morgan starts before she interrupts.

"No," Bela says, shaking her head. "No, you're done. Seriously, Morgan, just go talk to Chuck. Right now."

"Yeah, that's probably a good idea…" he nods, walking off.

"I'm sorry, about Morgan," she apologises.

"I just don't know how you of all people are friends with him," Anna says.

"Chuck is a big part of me being friends with him," she explains. "Plus, he does grow on you."

"Maybe like a fungus," Anna mutters.

"So I hear-I've heard that you have a new guy!" Bela says cheerfully changing the subject.

"Jason's great," Anna beams. "Plus an evening out doesn't involve me on his handlebars at the Taco Bell drive through."

"Well, hey! How would you like to go on a double date or something sometime," she asks.

"Really?" Anna asks.

"Yeah," she shrugs.

"Jason's having a party tonight at his showroom, I mean the only thing more expensive than the champagne will be the cars-you and John should stop by!"

"Sounds great, yeah," Bela smiles. "Can't wait to meet your new boyfriend."

"Okay," Anna smiles before leaving her.

"I need you," Bela says, grabbing Casey's arm as he enters the Buy More.

He chuckles, resting his hand on her hip as she pauses.

"No, not like that!" she frowns, slapping his hand away. "I talked to Anna, and… well, you and I are going on a double date. Tonight."

"What? Oh no, there's no way-"

"We have orders," she teases, grinning as he sighs.

"Fine," he growls. "But I will _not_ have fun!"

* * *

"I can't believe I have to meet her new boyfriend," Bela frowns, sitting in Casey's living room.

"Bela and I will enter as our cover couple," Casey mutters. "Get close to Wang."

Bela snorts at the name again before apologising.

"We'll see if I flash on anything," she says.

"And try and plant this GLG-20," Casey says, shoving the bug in his pocket.

"Chuck and I will be in the van, monitoring your activity," Sarah says.

"Well this is fun, huh?" Chuck smiles as Bela pulls a jacket on over her dress. "You guys on the mission and us in the van?"

"I hate you," she deadpans, following Casey outside.

* * *

"So, Anna, what's the occasion for all this?" Bela asks as they walk through the showroom.

"It's a car preview for an auction Jason's having tomorrow," she explains. "Sort of an open house for cars."

"Huh," Casey says, looking around.

"Anna, these cars are almost the price of a house, your boyfriend must be very successful," Bela smiles before thinking of Morgan. "Although the true measure of a man's success is not in dollars but rather his ability to love, and if that's true then Morgan is stinkin' rich; I mean, wouldn't you agree Casey?"

"Huh?" he asks as she elbows him in the side. "Yeah, what she said."

"We do miss you guys together," Bela says after glaring at Casey.

"You do?" Anna asks.

"I'm sure Jason's a great guy, but I'll always think of you and Morgan as the perfect couple," she says. "I mean even Chuck's girlfriend Sarah agrees, she'd say it all the time. 'Cute couple alert, here comes Morgan and Anna'."

"Nice job!" Chuck praises through the earpiece. "Oh, and Wang just walked in."

"Huh, that is so strange," Anna says slowly.

"What's strange, that I was touching my ear?" Bela asks, lowering her arm. "No, that's eczema which is just totally normal, not strange, people have it."

"No, strange that Sarah even thought about Morgan and I as a couple," she explains. "To be honest, I never really though that she noticed me that much."

"That's not true, Anna, she has always thought of you as a friend," Bela smiles. "We all do."

"Honey, can you come here?" Anna calls out to Jason. "Jason, this is Bela and John. They're my friends."

"Well, any friend of Anna's," Jason smiles, shaking their hands.

"Even though this is our first time meeting I feel as though I know every teeny tiny thing about you," Bela says, smiling.

"All good I hope," he says, the two laughing.

"I'm gonna grab us a drink," Casey says, kissing Bela before leaving.

"You two are so cute together," Anna smiles.

"Ohh, thanks," Bela says, rubbing the back of the neck. "Yeah, he's great."

She glances across the room, smiling at Casey before the people behind him catch her eye.

"You okay?" he asks as he joins her.

"I just flashed," she whispers. "Her name is Smooth Lau and they're all triad."

"Right, let's follow them," Casey says, hesitating as Anna stops them.

"Hey, can I talk to you?" she asks, staring up at Bela. "I could really use a friend right now."

"Oh, sure, I'll catch up in a second sweetie," she says, smiling at Casey before he walks off. "I'm all ears."

"I like Jason and on paper he's everything that Morgan's not, so that's good," Anna says.

"No, no that's bad," Bela says.

"Why?"

"Because Morgan's the guy you keep comparing him to," she explains.

"Bela, you're totally right," Anna sighs. "Oh my God. Do you think that means I still love him?"

Bela turns around as she overhears one of the security guy's walkie talkies announce an intruder found on the premises.

"Casey," she whispers. "Excuse me, Anna; I just need to use the bathroom."

She sets down her champagne before making her way over to the garage where Casey last entered.

"Hey!" she says, almost running into him. "If you haven't been captured then who's the spy being held by triad?"

They stare at each other before Morgan's cries are heard outside.

"Oh my God, they've got Morgan!" she yells, Casey grabbing her arm. "What! We've got to help him!"

"We can't just start pulling out weapons, sweetheart, we'll blow our cover," he explains.

"Okay, fine, then what's the next option?" she asks.

"It's easy for me to do nothing; it goes against _everything_ I believe in to leave a man behind."

"Then _don't_ do nothing, do something!" she yells. "We can't just stand here while my friend gets tortured or killed!"

Casey just shakes his head, releasing her.

"Fine, if you're not going to do something then I will," she says, quickly running off.

"Hey!" he yells, following.

"Wait, wait, wait!" she yells, running out into the parking lot. "He's not a spy!"

The triad turn to her, Morgan sighing in relief.

"Who the hell are you?" Lau asks.

"What's going on?" Jason asks, as Anna and him join them.

"Morgan?" Anna asks in disbelief.

"This is your ex from the Buy More?" Jason asks.

"What are you doing here?" she asks.

"Tell me before I break your neck," Lau threatens.

"No! No, no, no!" Bela interrupts. "You don't want to do that because I know why he's here. He's here…"

"Bela, please," Morgan sighs.

"He's here because he's stalking you," Bela admits, turning to Anna.

"What?" she asks.

"That's right, that's right; he's not a spy okay!" Bela continues. "He's a stalker, which is a thin but very key difference in my opinion. I see why Anna dumped you; this guy is a profoundly disturbed individual okay? He just can't let go of her, he's an obsessed but totally unthreatening… sicko. Grow up, Morgan Grimes."

"Let him go," Lau sighs, the triad turning away from him.

"Well, you just saved his life," Casey says, watching her.

"At the expense of his dignity," she sighs, shaking her head.

"Well at least he's still breathing," he shrugs before sliding his jacket over her shoulders. "Come on."

* * *

"No, _no_, I can't face him Chuck, I can't," Bela stutters, pulling away as Chuck drags her towards Morgan.

"Look, he knows you didn't mean it-"

"No! He thinks I meant _everything_, Chuck!" she yells. "And I don't blame him if he hates me, I said some horrible things!"

"To save his life!"

"And again, he _doesn't_ know that!" she growls as they reach him.

"Hey buddy," Chuck says, Morgan turning to the two.

"Hey, _Chuck_," he says, deliberately ignoring Bela.

"Look, I know that I hurt your feelings but I was only trying to protect you," she explains.

"We've been friends for a long time, right?" he asks. "I mean, not as long as Chuck and me, but still a long time."

"Of course," she nods.

"Enjoy the memories," he says, making his way out of the room.

"What? Morgan-" she starts before Jeff blocks her path.

"You got any idea of what Ellie and Awesome thought about Jeffster?" he asks Chuck. "I mean we didn't fully play out but if you could put in a good word?"

"Jeff I don't understand anything that just came out of your mouth, but the truth is I don't care," Chuck says. "I know that you think that my concerns are no bigger than the weekend weather or whatever's new in the snack machine but I have the weight of the damn world on my shoulders so if you don't mind, figure out your own crap!"

"Ditto," Bela says nervously before quickly following Chuck.

* * *

"Good, you're here," Casey says as Bela joins him in the castle. "I need you to cross check these customs docks with the bill of lading you saw on the container yesterday."

"I was in there for all of five seconds," she frowns before shaking her head. "How could you just stand there and make me choose between Morgan's life and his friendship."

"That wasn't going to happen because Anna vouched for him."

"You don't get who he is to me," she continues.

"No, I get that you're friends with that bearded little freak, I _don't_ get why."

"No, that's the thing Casey you _don't_ get it, you don't get it at all," she growls and he grabs her arm, spinning her to face him.

"Then explain it to me," he says and she sighs.

"When I moved here, I barely knew anyone," she begins. "I knew Chuck, and Ellie, and Awesome. That was it. My first day at the Buy More, Morgan befriended me, no questions asked. The fact that Chuck was friends with me was good enough for him. He's become a part of my family. Before you got here and long after you've gone, Morgan is my family."

"Last night we failed to learn the contents of the triad's container," Casey says, changing the subject. "And now we don't know what kind of drugs or weapons are floating around in the city and while I appreciate your friendship with Morgan, losing sight of the container endangers many people's best friends. Not just yours."

"Well," she says, pulling away from him. "Thanks for your support."

"Bells," he sighs, watching her leave.

* * *

"Bells, hey, what's wrong?" Chuck asks as she storms into the Buy More.

"Casey's an ass," she hisses, pushing past him. "I'm fixing things-_now_."

"I don't think that's such a great idea…" he says, following her over to Morgan.

"Hey, Morgan, will you please, _please_ just talk to me for one second," she pleads.

"I have nothing left to say to you, dude," he says.

"Fine," she growls, turning away.

"One question though before I never speak to you again," he says and she quickly turns back. "How did you betraying me turn into you saving me?"

"I'm sorry for betraying you," she says.

"No, Bela, you don't get to say sorry," he says.

"You're right! Sorry isn't good enough it's a cheap bandaid…"

"Stop it, you don't get it!" he growls. "This whole thing is _my_ fault! It's me, I made this mess, both Chuck and you warned me not to spy and I went and did it anyway, it's just that I'm so sick of the two of you being right and then having to bail me out."

"You bail me out plenty of times!" she says, the two frowning at this statement.

"I can't count on the two of you to fix things my whole life."

"Of course you can," she nods.

"Look, it's time for me to pay for my own mistakes," he says. "Fight my own battles."

"Um, Morgan, I would maybe start with a different battle," Bela says as they see some of the triad in the Buy More.

Chuck quickly drags them out into the storage cage, the three ducking down between some boxes.

"Let's just keep it down, and remain calm and this will all be over soon enough," Chuck explains, Bela glaring at him.

"No dude, do you know what this is?" Morgan asks. "This is just you guys saving me again."

"No, no it's not," Bela protests. "This is three best friends hiding from a terrible beating."

"The time is now," Morgan continues. "Time for me to stand up for myself, to go out there to those beefy, heartless thugs and take it like a grown man. Grown man who spies on women, but still; I'm done, guys, I don't want either of you saving me anymore."

"No, wait, wait, wait," Chuck says as they follow him out. "Morgan, wait!"

"You can't just go out there, with your breath stinking like garbage!" Bela interrupts.

"Are you kidding me? Way to kick a man when he's about to be kicked down," he sighs. "I'm short and usually have dandruff in my beard; you wanna riff on me for that too?"

"No! I wouldn't-you have dandruff in your beard?" she asks before shaking her head. "All I'm saying is that maybe you should freshen up first, why poke an already pissed off bear?"

Chuck nods as she takes out the knock out spray.

"Open up, buddy," he encourages, Bela spraying it into his mouth.

"That's strong, what is that? Is that just peppermint…?" Morgan asks before passing out.

"That's quick," Bela whispers before turning to Chuck. "What're we gonna do now?"

"We have to get him out of here… somehow," he says before they turn to the boxes they were just hiding amongst. "I've got an idea."

* * *

"Your ideas? They suck," Bela says as Chuck and her wheel Morgan out on a trolley, Morgan safely concealed in one of the home entertainment unit boxes.

"Hey," one of the triad says, stopping them halfway through the Buy More. "Seen that stalker from the party the other night?"

"Yeah, yeah, I think he actually went out the back," Bela says, nodding behind her. "Uh, talking about getting a slice or something like that."

"Take it easy," Chuck says as they make their way behind them, Bela activating the alarm on her watch.

"I've alerted the others, let's go," she says, growling as Anna rushes over to them.

"Guys, I want you to see something," she grins.

"No time, we're actually in the middle of moving this very cumbersome and time sensitive appliance so we-" Bela starts before Anna pulls them away.

"Come on," she says, pulling them towards the screen. "Look, my boyfriend's on TV."

They stare at Jason on the screens, listening to the interview about the auto auction before flashing on an image of Ambassador Mei Sheng.

"Oh my God, the auction," Chuck says.

"Don't rub it in, I have to work," Anna sighs before walking away.

"Hey, what is it?" Casey growls, Sarah and him rushing over to them.

"We just flashed, we have to get to the auction," Bela explains. "Triad's are gonna kill the Chinese ambassador."

"Why would he walk into a known triad den?" Sarah asks, confused.

"Wang's got a legitimate business, the ambassador doesn't know Wang's triad," Casey says.

"Which is exactly why it's not a very safe place for him," Bela says.

"Look, we just gotta get Morgan," Chuck says, Bela following him back to where they'd left the box. "What?"

"Oh, God," Bela whispers, the two quickly running out to the loading dock as Casey and Sarah call after them. "Morgan!"

* * *

"Stay in the car," both Casey and Sarah order as they climb out of the Herder.

"What? How can we stay in the car when we have to go save Morgan!" Chuck protests.

"Please, Chuck, just follow orders," Sarah says.

"Bartowski, you're like the poster child for friendly fire," Casey adds before they run off, leaving the two alone.

"Oh, oh, that's it!" Bela says, pointing at the vehicle that held Morgan as it drives past. "Let's go."

They quickly get out of the Herder, making their way into the garage.

"What are they-?" she whispers, the two watching triad unscrew the hood ornament on a Rolls Royce before flashing on it. "Oh my God, it's a bomb."

They gasp as triad unload Morgan from the four wheel drive, dumping him in the trunk of the ambassador's Rolls Royce.

"Hey, hey, listen," Chuck whispers into his watch. "Triad have planted a bomb in the Rolls Royce and they've put Morgan in the trunk, we've got to stop it."

"Just stay right where you are," Sarah orders.

"She doesn't really expect us to just do nothing, does she?" Bela asks, glancing at Chuck as the vehicle drives past them. He shakes his head, the two quickly running back to the Herder before jumping in and intercepting the other vehicle.

"Wait, wait, wait, stop!" Chuck yells out his window at them. "There's a bomb in your car!"

"It's a triad trap, move!" the ambassador orders, the Rolls Royce taking off.

"No!" Chuck yells, Bela quickly reversing the Herder.

"Way to follow orders!" Casey yells, launching himself on the vehicle's roof.

"What the hell!" Bela hisses.

"Hey, ah!" Casey yells, his hand trying to open Chuck's window. "Let me in!"

"We can't, if we do that you won't let us save Morgan!" Bela yells, right behind the ambassador's car.

"Proving you're not a complete idiot let me in!"

"No! No!" Chuck yells. "Casey, you'll just have to hang on!"

"Morgan's our best friend, Casey!" Bela yells. "It's like you said, leave no man behind!"

"Okay tell you what, if you let me in I promise to help you save the bearded loser."

"You promise?" Bela asks.

"I promise."

"Semper Fi?" she asks.

"Semper Fidelis!" he yells.

"Chuck, get in the back," she says before rolling the window down, Casey climbing into the passenger seat.

"Oh, huh, what are you doing?" Bela asks as he opens the glove box compartment. "What are you doing, you promised you'd help us save Morgan!"

"I didn't promise I'd let you drive," he says, holding up a controller, taking over power of the Herder.

"What? There's a remote control for this thing?" Chuck asks. "This is crazy!"

"Watch the Rolls, the Rolls-don't! Stop!" Bela yells, Casey driving through a pile of boxes before spinning around. They follow the ambassador, the Rolls being blocked in by an ice truck.

"Whoa!" Casey yells, climbing out of the Herder as the ambassador's guards hold their guns on them. "Major John Casey, National Security Agency this is my badge."

Chuck and Bela jump out as he explains himself, quickly unscrewing the bomb from the Rolls Royce.

"Bomb!" the ambassador yells, pointing at Chuck and Bela.

The guards force Casey on the ground.

"You're risking your life!" he yells, seeing Bela carry the bomb away.

"No! We're saving Morgan's!" Chuck says.

"Don't be idiots!" he growls, seeing them climb into the Herder before being pushed back into the ground.

"Hey! CIA, let him go," Sarah says, showing them her badge as she makes her way over. Where are they?"

"Heroic imbeciles took off with the bomb," he growls, his voice breaking as they watch the car. "They'd better get out of there."

"Oh my God," Sarah says, watching as the car crosses train lines, narrowly avoiding being hit.

She gasps as the Nerd Herd vehicle explodes, blowing pieces sky high as tears well in her eyes. Casey stares wide eyed at the burning pieces, his eyes searching for any traces of the two.

"That was pretty sweet, huh?" Bela asks, the agents turning to stare at Chuck and her.

"What?" Chuck asks as Sarah stares at them agape, wiping the tears from her cheeks. "Did you think that we were..?"

"We were just using the thing," Bela adds as Casey snatches the remote from her, not taking his eyes off of her. "Sorry."

Chuck moves to the trunk to help Morgan as Sarah follows.

"What?" Bela asks, noticing Casey's gaze. He says nothing, pulling her against him as he kisses her. His arms hold her tight, not letting go even as he pulls back, resting his forehead against hers.

"You thought we were dead?" she asks, staring up at him.

"I thought _you_ were dead," he says, kissing her again.

"I'm fine," she says as he pulls away, still keeping an arm around her waist. "We're both fine."

* * *

"You know this would be a lot easier if you were helping," Chuck says, glaring at Bela as she sits on the trolley he was pulling.

"I'm making sure he doesn't fall," she shrugs, smiling up at him.

"Oh!" Morgan says, jumping awake as Chuck pulls the trolley over a bump.

"Hey," Bela says, resting her hand on his shoulder as he sits up. "You okay?"

"You really had us worried," Chuck says.

"Oh man, I'm so embarrassed," Morgan says. "I can't even get my ass kicked with any dignity. Guys, I can't believe I fainted."

"Yeah, yeah… you fainted," Bela says slowly, glancing up at Chuck.

"I'm such a coward," Morgan sighs. "I don't know, I guess just the fear of a fight must have been too much for me, and I'm sorry that you guys had to save me _again_."

"Come on," Chuck says. "Morgan, don't you know who you are to us? Don't you know what you mean to _me_, all that you've done?"

"Thank you," he says.

"You're welcome."

Bela smiles, pulling him into a hug.

"Whoa, you two are hugging?" Chuck asks, stepping back.

"Special occasion hug," she says, quickly pulling away as Morgan's hands begin to wander.

* * *

"Smooth Lau and her band of cohorts were apprehended at the scene and Jason Wang has just been taken into custody," Beckman informs them. "They will all be spending a lot of time in prison, thanks to all of you."

"Thank you, General," Sarah says.

"Furthermore, this incident has left Ambassador Mei Sheng with a renewed vigour to crack down on triad crime both here and overseas," she says. "Now if you'll excuse me, I'm late for my evening plans."

"Uh, General, if you don't mind me asking," Chuck says, glancing at an amused Bela. "What exactly is your version of evening plans?"

"Bartowski," Casey growls.

"It's not top secret, Major," Beckman says. "I'm meeting Condoleezza for cosmos. Even _I_ have friends."

Bela snickers at this as the sat link ends.

* * *

"Hey," Bela says, joining Casey as he pulls a pair of earplugs from his pocket. He nods, sliding an arm around her waist as she smiles up at him.

"What's with these guys?" he asks, frowning at Jeff and Lester.

"I think they're okay," she says, laughing as he growls at her.

"Hey, I wanted to uh, apologize," he mutters. "I could have been more sensitive before, about your friendship with that bearded little-with Morgan."

"I understand," she nods, her smile growing as he spins her around to face him.

"I say we get out of here," he smirks, his arms pulling her closer against him.

"What did you have in mind?" she asks and he leans down, whispering in her ear.

She clears her throat as he pulls back, her cheeks flushed.

"That-that-yes," she nods, all but dragging him from the store.

* * *

A/N: Next chapter Sarah and Bela have to go undercover to seduce a suspected Fulcrum agent. Please review!


	29. Chuck vs The Beefcake

A/N: Ah the MI6 chapters, or the Beefcake chapters. How will Chuck _and_ Casey deal with the new agent, especially with Sarah and Bela working so closely with him. Please review!

* * *

"Casey!" Bela laughs, her arms around his neck as he sets her down on the Orange Orange counter. "Sarah'll be opening soon!"

"She's chit chatting with Bartowski, that'll keep them away for a good hour or so," he grins, roughly kissing down her neck.

"What has gotten into you," she asks, gasping as he pushes her legs apart.

"_I'm_ about to get into _you_," he growls, pushing her back slightly.

"Casey!" she yells in disbelief, quickly whacking him on the arm as the doors open, Chuck and Sarah pausing as they see the two.

"I serve people food on that bench," Sarah says, folding her arms across her chest.

"You two are like animals," Chuck adds, shaking his head as they adjust their clothing.

"So we'll be in the castle," Bela says, following Casey out the back and frowning as he pauses. "What're you doing?"

"Listening," he shrugs.

She raises an eyebrow at this, shaking her head as he moves into the front.

"Probably not the best idea to give the 'it's not you it's me' speech to a trained assassin wielding a knife," Casey says, poking his head in.

"I was warming up into more original terrain," Chuck frowns. "Can you give us a minute please?"

"Eh," Casey shrugs, moving back out the back.

"Can we just go downstairs?" Bela whispers, pressing up against him. "We've got time before Beckman debriefs us don't we?"

"You weren't in the mood before," he says, watching her carefully.

"Well now I am, funny that," she says, glaring up at him. "Something tells me _you're_ still in the mood as well."

He pulls away from her, ducking back out the front.

"Great; the most annoying romance of my life is finally over," he growls. "Downstairs now!"

"They broke up?" Bela asks, turning as the others join them. "You guys broke up?"

"Come on!" Casey grunts, all but dragging Bela down the stairs into the main area of castle.

* * *

"We were able to lift a print off the body bag," General Beckman informs them. "It seems the grave was robbed by a Fulcrum agent; Cole Barker."

"Seems like a real ladies man," Casey grunts, watching Bela stare at the screen with interest.

"He arrived at LAX this morning and took a cab to the Standard Hotel," she continues. "We suspect that's where he's going to meet his Fulcrum contact later and make a handoff. Agent Walker and Miss Tiernan will attempt to retrieve the intelligence he's carrying, using _any_ means necessary. That's all."

"What?" Chuck asks, glancing at the two women.

"Hey, can we get a little closer on this picture of Cole; maybe push in on his… groinal area?" Bela asks.

"You seeing something you like down there, sweetheart?" Casey growls.

She ignores him as she leans forward, Chuck noticing her reaction and doing the same.

"Oh," Chuck says, sitting back. "Okay, we just flashed."

"And the intelligence is in Cole's belt buckle," Bela deadpans, glancing at Sarah.

"Huh," Casey snorts. "Well you two are just gonna have to get his pants off. Good thing Bartowski dumped ya."

"You trust her?" Chuck asks, surprised by Casey's calm reaction.

"It's a mission," he shrugs. "She'll do what she has to."

"Great," Bela smiles, exchanging worried looks with Sarah. "Can't wait."

* * *

"How are you?" Sarah asks, sitting next to Bela at the bar of the hotel.

"Nervous," she smiles, taking a sip of her drink. "But I'll be okay. Just don't leave me."

"I'll be with you the entire night, don't worry," she assures her, noticing Chuck and Casey's amused glances. "What?"

"Nothing," Chuck smirks. "Just… okay, come on. The two of you, two _women_, on a mission to remove an agent's _pants_? Come on."

"Shut up," Bela growls, turning away from him. "Just… stop talking."

"Game on," Casey interrupts. "Beefcake just stepped in."

Bela rolls her eyes at him before both Sarah and her glance across at Cole.

"Where's his contact?" Chuck asks.

"Do I have an intersect in my head, look around," Casey says. "We don't have much time here Walker, so take Bela and get to his room, get his belt off. Make it a quickie, Bells."

"I will _kill_ you," she growls.

"Maybe there's a better way to do this," Chuck interrupts. "Y'know, throw a sack over his head, drag him outside. Come on, Casey, you're always up for a good mugging."

"Can't risk his contact seeing us," Casey says. "What's the matter Bartowski, afraid of a little competition?"

"Are you?" Chuck asks, nodding at Bela who was adjusting her cleavage.

"Hey, quit it," Casey growls, gaining her attention.

"Cole's Fulcrum contact is gonna be here any minute, time to get to work," Sarah says, interrupting the two.

"I'm just wondering if it's okay for _Bela_ to be alone with such a dangerous guy," Chuck says.

"It's okay Chuck, I've got protection," Sarah says, Bela choking on her drink being Sarah shows them the gun in her handbag. "And besides, we have a safe word; if either of us asks for any crystal champagne, Casey will know we're in trouble."

"They'll be fine," Casey says. "Trust me."

"You're the one trusting your girlfriend not to do anything that she would otherwise normally do," Chuck shrugs, Casey eyes lingering on Bela as Sarah and her stand up.

"Just let me do the talking," Sarah says as they make their way over to Cole.

"Yeah," Bela nods. "That's probably best."

"Hi," Sarah smiles, sitting down opposite Cole.

Bela's eyes widen as she looks for another seat, Cole shifting slightly to make room beside him. She smiles, quickly taking a seat.

"We noticed you sitting alone," Sarah says.

"Very observant," he says.

"Do you want some company?" she asks.

"Not really," he says, shaking his head. Bela glances across at Sarah, wondering what to do next.

"Well, neither do we but the problem is if we sit at the bar every guy in here is going to think we're lonely and desperate and try and take a shot at two total strangers," Sarah continues.

"Isn't that what you're doing right now?" Cole asks before turning to Bela. "Except you're taking a shot at _one_ total stranger, not two."

"Guilty as charged," Bela smiles.

"If we're going to continue this conversation, I think I should make one thing abundantly clear," he says. "I'm not a very nice guy."

"Good, 'cause we're not into nice guys," Sarah smiles, leaning forward.

"Really?" he asks, turning again to Bela. "Why is that?"

"Well all they want to do is talk about their feelings and emotions and sometimes what a woman really wants is a man who acts," Bela informs him.

"Well then why don't we stop talking and take this up to my room," he suggests. "You have my word _nothing_ nice will happen."

The three stand, Sarah throwing a look over her shoulder at Chuck and Casey as Cole rests his hand against Bela's back, the elevator doors opening.

He ushers them inside, smiling down at them as the doors close.

"What floor?" Sarah asks.

"Hit eleven," he says, pulling the two closer.

Bela swallows hard, glancing at Sarah.

"Don't be so nervous," he whispers in her ear, gaining her attention back.

"She's fine," Sarah says, smiling reassuringly at her as the doors open.

"Which room is yours?" Bela asks.

"Eleven twenty one," he replies as they make their way down the hallway. "It's a suite, with a fantastic view, a giant king sized bed and a Jacuzzi tub."

"Ooh!" Bela says excited before Sarah shakes her head at her.

"Here we are," Cole says, unlocking the room before the three make their way inside.

"Wow-" Bela starts before Cole pulls them both against him, Bela trying desperately not to elbow Sarah as she pulls his jacket off.

"Not so fast," he says, pushing Sarah's hands away from his belt.

"I usually don't do this on the first date," Sarah explains, Bela raising an eyebrow at this before Cole's mouth covers hers, her arms instinctively pulling him closer.

He grabs Sarah's handbag, tossing it on the floor before leaning on the back of the couch.

'My bag,' Sarah mouths to Bela before pushing the two over the couch, both landing on the floor as Sarah moves towards the bag.

"Where do you think you're going?" Cole asks, pulling Sarah down next to them. He grabs the bag from her hands, tossing it across the room once again.

He moans pulling the two women to standing before Sarah pushes him against the wall, her eyes scanning the room for her bag once again as Bela tries to keep him distracted.

"Let me just get something from my purse," Sarah says before Cole spins her around, pinning the both of them against the wall now.

"Let's take this belt off," Bela smiles seductively.

"Sure thing," he agrees, helping her to pull it off before pinning her arms above her head.

"Whoa! Slow down a little here," Sarah says as he binds Bela and Sarah's arms with the belt.

"I told you I wasn't a nice guy," he grins.

"We're willing to try new things but uh, it's getting a little hot in here," Sarah says, glancing at her bag again. "Maybe grab some champagne. Maybe some _crystal_?"

"I'll order the ladies some crystal," he sighs, moving away.

"How long do you think it'll take Casey to get here?" Bela whispers as Cole orders room service.

"He'll be here quick, trust me," she says, winking at her before the two turn back to Cole.

"Where were we?" he growls, his hands sliding under their dresses.

Bela gasps as she hears tearing, looking down to see her dress on the floor before Sarah's soon joins it.

He kisses her, quickly pulling back as Sarah tries to reach for her handbag again. He pushes them away, picking it up before pulling out the gun and aiming it at the two.

"This is getting a little too dangerous for me right now," Bela says, her arm still uncomfortably tied to Sarah's.

"Enough games, ladies," he says. "Who do you work for?"

"Hey, somebody order room service, champagne!" Chuck yells from the other side of the door, Cole glancing at it. Sarah takes the brief distraction and kicks the gun out of his hand before planting a solid kick in the side of his head. She continues to kick him as he falls to the ground, Bela being dragged along with her.

"M-maybe you should put your dresses on," Chuck says once he crashes through the door, trying not to stare at Bela and Sarah in their underwear as they hold Cole down. "'Cause it's… chilly in here."

"Can you untie us?" Sarah asks, nodding at the belt.

"Uh, s-sure," Chuck says, quickly undoing it before making sure he had the buckle.

"Give me your jacket," Sarah whispers to him, staring down at the torn dress.

He nods, quickly shrugging out of it before holding it open for her.

"Thanks," she smiles, Bela pulling Cole's jacket on.

"Let's go," Sarah says, the four making their way down the hallway and into the elevator.

"Where's Casey?" Bela asks concern on her face.

"He had something to take care of," Chuck says.

"Casey, we've got the belt and Agent Barker and we're heading to the car," Chuck says into his watch as they exit the elevator into the car park.

"You guys are making a huge mistake," Cole says.

"You just keep your mouth shut, we'll deal with you later," Chuck says.

"There won't be a later unless you listen to me, you have no idea who you're dealing with," he continues.

"You think we're falling for this?" Sarah asks. "Trust me, you're not that charming."

They turn as a helicopter appears.

"That's not our ride!" Sarah yells and they duck down as it begins shooting at them.

"Who are they!" Chuck yells.

"Not us!" Sarah yells. "Okay, you stay here I'm gonna try and pull fire away from you! Casey, it's Sarah we need help _now_!"

"Sarah, Sarah!" Chuck and Bela yell, watching her leave.

"Okay, listen to me clearly," Cole says. "I'm not a Fulcrum agent, I'm MI6 working undercover."

"Why didn't you say anything before!" Bela yells.

"Because I didn't want to blow my cover!"

"How do we know you're not lying?" Chuck asks.

"You don't, but if you want her to live you don't have a choice," he explains. "Do something, or she's already dead!"

Bela sighs, quickly undoing his binds.

"Thanks," he says, grabbing the gun from Sarah's bag before leaving them and rushing over to Sarah.

She ducks down next to a car as he fires at the helicopter, hitting a gas tank and causing it to explode, the helicopter catching alight and crashing down before it also explodes.

"Oh thank God!" Bela gasps, making her way over to them before Casey knocks Cole out.

"What was that for!" Sarah yells, Chuck also making his way over.

"Casey, he's not Fulcrum," Bela says quietly, the two agents turning to her in disbelief. "He's MI6."

* * *

"I want to apologize to you directly, Agent Barker," General Beckman says. "We had no record you were MI6."

"Your people just blew _eighteen months_ of undercover work," he says bitterly.

"We did recover the stolen intelligence, didn't we?" Chuck asks, holding up the chip from the belt buckle. "It wasn't a complete loss."

"Whatever information is on that chip is useless without the playback device," Cole informs them.

"Why?" Sarah asks.

"Fulcrum devised a system to ensure that critical information, if intercepted, couldn't be read," he explains. "My mission was to bring the chip to my contact and find out what's on it; to do that we need the playback device."

"I'm ordering you to stay locked down in castle overnight Agent Barker, until we speak to your superiors and figure out our next move," Beckman says. "Agent Walker or Tiernan will stay with you to make sure you don't get yourself into any more trouble."

Casey and Chuck both look up at this before she ends the transmission.

"Well, I could think of worse ways to spend the night," Cole says.

"Bells, you're not staying here with him," Casey growls, Sarah turning to him.

"_Bela_ can do whatever she likes," she warns.

"Bells?" Cole snorts. "Someone has a crush on you, sweetheart."

"You can stay at my house, if you wanted to," Chuck offers. "Our best friend Morgan is on the sofa and I don't think he'd mind if you were there. He has a beard, like yours."

"I'll stay, it's fine," Bela yawns, ignoring Casey. "Right now all I want to do is sleep anyway, so he can't exactly get into any shenanigans."

"Not that you'll know whilst you're sleeping, sweetheart," Cole jokes, Casey's fists clenching at this.

"Are you sure you want to stay?" Sarah asks, interrupting.

"Yeah, it's fine," she shrugs.

"Alright," she nods, Chuck and Sarah getting ready to leave.

"Bela, a minute?" Casey asks, and she nods before following him up the stairs to the Orange Orange.

"What?" she asks as he tenses.

"You got really into your cover, huh?" he asks, stroking the bite marks on her neck.

"It got heated," she shrugs. "Sarah has them too. I think the two of us kissed at one point, as well."

He raises an eyebrow at this and she laughs, shaking her head.

"You're so gullible," she teases before smiling up at him sweetly. "Can you bring me a change of clothes in the morning?"

He nods.

"Call me if you need _anything_," he adds, kissing her before pulling back.

"As if you won't be watching all night anyway," she smirks, making her way back into castle.

"Sweetheart, which will it be?" Cole asks as she makes her way down the stairs. "Top or bottom?"

She glares at him as she walks straight past him into the bathroom.

"Either is alright with me!" he calls after her.

* * *

"Bela," Cole whispers, chuckling as she moves closer against him in her sleep.

She mutters incoherently, turning her head to the side.

"Morning, sweetheart," he grins, his lips pressing against her neck.

She moans, arching into him.

"Morning," she smiles before realisation hits her and her eyes open wide. "Oh my God!"

She pushes Cole away, quickly climbing out of the cots.

"Well you were enjoying it before," he says, watching her amused.

"No," she says, shaking her head. "I though you were-no!"

He stands up, slowly making his way over to her.

"Where are the showers?" he asks and she closes her eyes, pointing in their direction. "Thanks."

He hesitates, and she slowly opens her eyes to see him still in front of her.

"What?" she asks.

"My shirt looks good on you," he smirks before leaving.

* * *

She sighs, sitting down at the table.

"Morning," Chuck says, Casey and Sarah following him down the stairs.

Bela stares up at them, her arms wrapped around her knees. Cole sat opposite her, looking bored.

"Morning," she mumbles.

"Can I have a word?" Casey asks, tossing a bag of clothes in front of her.

She nods, standing up as he follows her into the bathroom.

He remains silent as she strips, pulling on her work clothes.

"You slept with him," he says, and she turns to him angrily.

"I did no such thing!" she protests.

"You slept in the same bed with him, whatever, you know what I meant," he growls and she calms down. "I saw what happened this morning."

"I'm sorry, I _really_ thought that I was home with you," she whispers, her eyes meeting his. "I promise."

He sighs, his arm slipping around her waist as he pulls her closer, his lips meeting hers.

"I swear it meant nothing," she continues as they pull back.

"I believe you," he nods, unlocking the door before following her back out to the others.

"Here's your shirt," Bela says, quickly tossing it to Cole.

"Smells lovely," he smirks before pulling it on as Chuck and Sarah examine the chip.

"So we can't open it, how do we get the playback device?" Casey asks.

"Well, maybe we can hack the chip," Chuck suggests as he turns to Bela. "I mean, we've cracked a data drive or two in our day."

"Not like this," Cole says. "It's a little more complicated than you and your friends stealing video games."

"Yeah, don't try and be a hero on this one Bartowski, leave it to the pros," Casey snorts.

"Excuse me, we are pros," Bela interrupts. "Our jobs are certified electronics technicians."

"Great cover," Cole says.

"It's not a cover, it's their lives," Casey jokes, Bela glaring at him.

"Look, the only way we're gonna read what's on that chip is if we get the playback device," Cole says. "Maybe my cover is still intact; I'll call my contact and arrange a new meeting."

"No, that's too dangerous," Sarah says.

"Ohh, it's sweet that you're worried about me but I can handle the heat."

"It's not that I'm worried about you, it's the intelligence that's on that chip falling into Fulcrum's hands," she corrects.

"Fine," he shrugs. "I'll go without it, leave the chip here. Worst case scenario we use this opportunity to smoke out a few Fulcrum agents."

"Worst case scenario they catch ya and kill ya," Casey adds.

"Yeah," he says. "Well that's a chance I'm just gonna have to take."

He slowly stands up, winking at Bela before following Casey out the back.

"Sarah give us a chance, maybe we can do this," Chuck asks.

"Guys just go back to the Buy More, we'll call you when it's over," she says, moving over to the others.

"Don't get cute with that chip," Casey says as he walks past them.

* * *

"Why did you just get slapped?" Bela asks, smirking as Chuck joins her at the Nerd Herd desk.

"Jeff and Lester," he mutters, sitting down next to her as he glances at the chip in her hand. "How're you going with it?"

"I think I've almost… got it," she says, the chip flashing as she connects the last wire to it. "Huh."

"And they said it couldn't be done," Chuck says, grinning as she types on the laptop in front of them, decrypting the chip. "Well that's when they call in the real pros, isn't it?"

"Chuck… that is… us," Bela whispers, staring at the screen.

He nods slowly, the two glancing over the screen at the people walking towards them before they both flash on the woman; Alexis White.

They stare at each other wide eyed before Chuck smashing the chip, the screen going black.

"Hi," Chuck says as they reach them. "How can we help you?"

"That was dumb," Alexis says after noticing the destroyed chip. "Why do people always insist on doing things the hard way?"

"No, no," Bela says, shaking her head nervously. "I assure you, we don't… what is the hard way?"

* * *

"Oh, oh my God, this is unbearable!" Chuck groans, his arms restrained above his head. "My back is killing me, my wrists are chaffing."

"Oh, shut up!" Bela snaps.

"This is gonna get ugly, what levels are their pain tolerance?"

"His is about a one out of ten," Sarah answers.

"A _what_? A _one_?" Chuck yells. "I'd say I'm at least at an eight."

"Chuck, the torture hasn't started yet," Sarah says, Bela letting out a laugh at this.

"This is the pre torture?" he frowns. "Okay, put me down as a one."

"Bela, you okay?" Sarah asks, ignoring Chuck's complaints.

"Fine," she sighs, steadying her breathing. "I'll be fine."

"She's a tough one, eh?" Cole asks.

"High threshold for pain," Sarah nods.

"Thanks?" Bela asks, staring at them.

"Sarah, Sarah, we saw it," Chuck says, turning to look at her. "We know what's on the chip."

"What?" she asks before Chuck nods at Cole.

"Sorry mate it's a bit difficult to put my fingers in my ears at the moment," he says.

"It's okay, Chuck," Sarah says.

"We're on it, Bela and me," he says.

"We can't let Fulcrum find out, no matter what they do to either of you do not tell them," she orders.

"I can't handle torture Sarah," Chuck cries. "You see all those syringes over there; you know how I feel about needles."

"Don't worry about torture, I'll incite them get them to kill us quick," Cole says.

"Interesting plan," Bela says, glancing at him.

"Okay, we just have to hold out until Casey gets here," Sarah says. "Until then if the pain becomes unbearable just pass out."

"How?"

"Scare yourself."

"Shouldn't be too hard," Bela says, smiling at him.

"Glad to see you're all in such a chatty mood," Alexis says, joining them. "The identity of the intersect is on that chip, so who wants to tell me first?"

Chuck gulps as he stares at the machete she held towards him.

"Perhaps you?" she asks, nodding at the two men to get Bela down.

"Bela!" Chuck yells, watching them drag her across the room.

"What are you doing?" Bela growls, struggling against them as she spots a large tub of water. "Are you kidding me?"

Alexis grabs Bela's wrists, dragging her into the tub.

"Don't!" Bela hisses as the cold water envelopes her.

"What are you-?" Bela begins before being thrust under the water.

"No!" Chuck yells, watching her struggle against Alexis.

"Who's going to talk?" she asks, pulling Bela up roughly.

"Stop-stop it!" Chuck yells, staring wide eyed at Bela as she gasps for air before being pushed under again. "Stop!"

"Then talk," Alexis says, holding her under for longer.

"Fine," Chuck says, waiting until Bela's pulled to the surface again. "I'll talk."

"Chuck, don't," Bela gasps, staring over at him. "I'm okay, don't say anything."

"Quiet," Alexis growls, shoving her under again. "Now tell me who the intersect is by three, or I'm not pulling her up."

Chuck stares at Bela struggling under the water, his breath hitching as her splashing becomes less forceful.

"It's me!" he yells in unison with Cole. They all look up at the sound of sirens and screeching tires.

"Get her!" Casey yells, watching an agent run after Alexis before looking around.

"There," Sarah says, nodding towards the tub. He sees Bela hunched over the side as she refills her lungs with air.

"Hey sweetheart," he whispers, lifting her out of the water.

She stares up at him wide eyed before looking around, sighing in relief as she sees Chuck, Cole and Sarah still alive.

"You need to stop getting yourself into these situations," Casey says, wrapping his jacket around her before brushing her hair out of her face. She laughs, her hand still braced against her side.

"You break some ribs?" he asks, stopping her as he lifts her shirt. She hisses as he presses against her skin.

"They're just bruised," she sighs, her voice raspy as he releases her. "You're gonna have to take it easy on me for a while."

He laughs at this, resting a hand on her back as he follows her.

"I think I can manage that," he smirks as the paramedics examine her.

"How is she, is she okay?" Chuck asks, rushing over.

"I'm fine," she says, smiling up at him. "Thanks, dummy. You told them."

"Told them what?" Casey growls.

"I wasn't gonna let her keep hurting Bela!" he frowns, Casey nodding at this.

"No, you did good," Casey mutters, wrapping his arm around Bela as the paramedics clear her. "C'mon."

"I did good?" Chuck calls after them. "I did good."

* * *

"I can't believe you two are moving in together," Bela laughs, shaking her head at Chuck and Morgan. "Ellie is gonna flip."

"You know you are more than welcome to move in with us," Morgan says, grinning up at her. Casey growls as he glares down at him. "Or not, it's entirely up to you."

"Thanks for the offer guys," she laughs, pulling away from Casey before making her way over to his apartment.

"Hey, Casey, you got a minute?" Chuck asks, waiting for Morgan to leave the two alone.

"What is it, Bartowski?" he asks, watching Bela unlock the apartment before slipping inside.

"Is Bela okay?" he asks. "Y'know, after everything that happened."

"She's fine," Casey shrugs. "Why?"

"She has a fear of drowning," he says, watching as Casey looks up at this. "Her torture would have been even harder on her, that's why I told Alexis I was the intersect, to get her to stop."

He stares blankly at him before sighing.

"I'll deal with it," he mutters, making his way to his apartment.

"Casey," Chuck interrupts. "Take it easy on her, okay?"

He nods, quickly moving inside before locking the door behind him.

Bela was strewn across the couch, a water bottle with a discoloured liquid dangling from one of her hands as her other clutched the remote.  
"How are you feeling?" he asks, standing beside the couch.

"Fine," she mumbles, her eyes not moving from the screen.

He sniffs the air before reaching down at taking the bottle from her hand.

"Hey!" she protests, moving to her feet as she follows him into the kitchen.

"You can't just drink until you feel better, Bela," he growls, tossing the bottle in the sink.

"It was diluted!" she frowns, folding her arms across her chest. "With vodka."

"C'mon," he says, pulling her upstairs.

"What're you doing?" she asks warily as she stops in the bathroom doorway, watching him turn on the shower. "Casey…"

"When was the last time you washed?" he asks, and she carefully sniffs at herself.

"I smell fine," she mutters, ignoring him.

"You need to shower, Bells," he says, moving in front of her. "Nothing's gonna happen to you here. I won't let it."

"I'm fine, I'll shower when I need one," she shrugs.

"Trust me sweetheart, you need one," he nods, removing his shirt.

She glares at him as he strips, refusing to move from the doorway.

"Your turn," he says, his hands gripping the bottom of her shirt.

"No," she says, shaking her head as she pulls away from him.

"If you're not gonna shower, at least change your clothes," he asks. "You did just finish work."

"Fine," she growls, quickly stripping before gasping as he grabs her arm.

"Casey," she cries, pulling against him. "Please."

He kisses her firmly, wrapping his arms around her before slowly moving backwards into the shower. He feels her tense as the water hits her, but holds her tight in the embrace.

Her arms wrap around his neck, refusing to loosen until he presses her back against the shower wall.

"That wasn't so bad, was it?" he whispers, kissing her forehead.

She steadies her breathing, slowly opening her eyes and meeting his.

"You're okay," he assures her.

"I'm okay," she nods, smiling up at him. "Thank you."

* * *

"Hopefully now you're over your fear of the shower at least," Casey grins, rolling off of Bela and onto his back. He pulls the sheets up to cover them as she moves against his side, resting her head on his chest.

"Chuck told you and Sarah about my fear of drowning, didn't he," she says quietly and he nods. "Great."

"It's okay," he whispers and she shakes her head.

"It's not," she says. "It's _stupid_. Of all things to be afraid of."

He rolls her onto her back, staring down at her.

"She held you under the water, Bells," he says, his lips brushing against her cheek. "She tried to kill you; I'd be worried if you weren't scared after that."

She nods slowly, a smile spreading across her face as his lips move down her neck.

"You're always so amorous after I nearly die," she teases, frowning as he raises his head to stare into her eyes.

"Not funny," he growls.

"It's a little funny," she smirks, laughing as his lips move to her neck again before he curses as his phone rings.

"Turn it off," she growls as he rolls out of bed, snatching the phone from the dresser.

"Yeah," he mutters into it before straightening up. She frowns as he leaves the room quickly, growing annoyed as he moves further down the hall.

She sighs, grabbing her own phone as she continues to wait. She was in the middle of replying to a message from Chuck when the bed shifts beside her.

"Beckman?" she asks, moving the phone out of his reach.

"Yeah," he sighs, waiting for her to finish. She sets her phone down after a moment, turning to face him.

"What?" she asks, noticing the worried look on his face.

"Barker's been captured."

"_Captured_?" she asks, frowning.

"He knows Bartowski and you are the intersects. This means I'm going to be watching you 24/7," he says.

"You do that, anyway," she smirks.

"This is serious, Bela," he growls. "You're not to go anywhere without me, don't do anything without telling me first."

"Okay," she nods, leaning against him as he wraps an arm around her.

"I'll keep you safe," he whispers, resting his chin on the top of her head. "I promise."

* * *

A/N: Next chapter Chuck and Bela meet someone who may be able to remove the intersect from their heads, but will they reach him before Fulcrum does? Please review!


	30. Chuck vs The Lethal Weapon

A/N: Cole's been captured and both Chuck and Bela are under strict surveillance by their handlers. Please review!

* * *

"Come with me, _now_," Casey growls as he grabs Bela's arm. He winces as she elbows him hard in the chest, causing him to release her.

"Don't grab me," she growls, glaring up at him.

"Whatever, I don't have time for your mood swings right now you need to come with me," he orders again, catching sight of Chuck.

"Could have just said that," she mutters, glaring at him as he now grabs Chuck.

"Hey, ow, what are you-?"

"Castle. Now," he growls.

"Does he seem angrier than usual?" Chuck asks as Bela and him follow Casey through the back of the Orange Orange.

"He was fine this morning," she says, frowning as Sarah rushes around packing away files. "Hey what's going on, are we moving?"

"No tell motel time for you two, secure bunker in an undisclosed location," Casey says.

"Seriously, what's with the boxes?" Chuck asks.

"Cole Barker was picked up twelve hours ago by Fulcrum," Casey explains. "Spent the entire night looking for him and we failed. We think if he talks, they're gonna come here looking for you."

"We're taking you both off the grid," Sarah says.

"What about my sister, is she in danger? Awesome, Morgan?" Chuck asks.

"First priority is to get you safe and then we can come back and make sure everybody else is okay," she says.

"If we get that far," Casey growls as the alarms sound, indicating a perimeter breach.

"This is it, we're gonna die underneath a yoghurt shop," Bela says, exchanging worried looks with Chuck.

"Back door, now," Casey says, resting his hand on her back. "Move, move, move."

"Sarah, Sarah we need to talk, if I knew this was going to happen-"

"Later, Chuck," she says, Bela sticking to Casey's side as they make their way down the hallway.

"Get back!" Casey yells as someone tries to open the door in front of them. The two agents raise their weapons, ready to fire as the door opens.

"Cole?" Bela asks, wide eyed. Sarah and her quickly rush to his side.

"Miss me?" he smirks, staggering against them. "Don't worry, I didn't say a word."

"Oh, god," Bela whispers, the two helping him as he falls to his knees.

* * *

"Here," Bela says, pushing Cole's hands out of the way as she cleans his wounds, Sarah sitting opposite them.

He nods grateful before continuing.

"After that it was eight, maybe nine men on the door," he explains, Sarah nodding at this.

"So when they questioned you about the intersect?" she asks.

"I didn't tell them anything," he says. "It's not my first dance, Walker. If I talk then Chuck, Casey, you, and Bela are all in the crosshairs. Not an option."

"Sorry," Bela apologizes as he winces.

"Why come back here after you escaped?" Sarah asks.

"I wanted to make sure you were safe," he says, his eyes on Bela as she finishes cleaning the wounds.

* * *

"Thanks to the information provided by Mister Barker, we now know that Fulcrum's protecting a man that goes by the codename Perseus," Beckman informs the group.

"Perseus is the head scientist behind Fulcrum's efforts to build their own intersect," Barker explains, dropping a file down in front of Bela and Chuck.

"Anything?" Sarah asks the two. They shake their heads, receiving no flashes from the file.

"I spent the last year undercover trying to get close to him but only the inner circle was ever allowed contact with him," Cole adds.

"Intel tells us, Perseus is attending a formal event tonight at the Swiss Consulate's office," Beckman says. "The state department has arranged invitations for the two of you."

"Um, the two of who?" Chuck asks.

"Agent Walker and Agent Casey," Beckman says obviously, Casey gloating as he holds the invites.

"Are you sure, General? I'd be happy to accompany Agent Walker," Cole says.

"I bet you would," Chuck says, Bela snorting at this. "Uh, Bela and I would be happy to go, too."

"Wait-what?" Bela asks, glancing at the General. "That's… false."

"I mean we are the intersects, and everything," Chuck continues, elbowing Bela in the side.

"We'd be thrilled," she deadpans.

"Neither Agent Barker nor Agents Bartowski or Tiernan will be going on this mission," Beckman says, annoyed. "Fulcrum is still actively searching for the three of you, you will stay in castle and monitor by remote feed if you recognize anyone you'll have radio."

"Looks like it's just us then, darling," Cole says, grinning at Bela.

"This is gonna be fun," Chuck says, rolling his eyes at the two.

* * *

"He looks ridiculous," Bela snorts, watching how awkward Casey looked beside Sarah.

"They can hear you," Chuck says, smirking at her as she blushes.

"Radio check, do we have a signal?" Sarah asks, interrupting them.

"Yep, we got you," Cole says, the three watching the screen.

"You look beautiful by the way, Sarah," Chuck says. "This is Chuck speaking, by the way."

"Alright, Chuck, you get in Casey's ear we'll get in Sarah's," Cole says, taking a seat next to Bela. "Okay you two, split up. Sarah you've got an unsecured exit, two o'clock."

"And the guy in the bad suit by the Swiss flag is packing," Bela adds, Cole nodding his approval at her.

"Casey, you got a bogey," Chuck says, Bela moving to glance at the screen before Cole pulls her back.

"Focus," he says, nodding at their screen. She nods.

"Tray of crab cakes coming in on your ten," Chuck says, Bela rolling her eyes at him. "I'm just trying to be helpful, okay? He works up an appetite on missions."

"Sarah the Italian minister for trade is heading your way, now he can get a little handsy," he says before glancing at Bela. "His wife's name is Isabela and he has three little bambinos."

"Nicely done," Bela grins as Sarah brings up his family, causing him to halt his advances.

"Not so bad yourselves."

"Thanks, thank you just doing _our_ jobs," Chuck interrupts. "Me, Bela and Cole."

"Save your victory lap for later, Bartowski, who else haven't we seen?" Casey asks.

"I don't know, look at the people by the ice goose thing," he shrugs.

A man catches Chuck's eye and he quickly grabs Bela, pulling her beside him.

"Oh, okay, we just flashed," Bela says, staring at the screen.

"Who?" Sarah asks.

"The short balding gentleman in the sweater wearing the glasses," Chuck says. "That's got to be Perseus."

"I have a visual," Casey says. "Moving in."

"His name is Howard Busgang," Bela informs them.

"He's a research scientist with the Department of Defence," Chuck adds.

"Good job, guys," Sarah says.

"Yeah, got a few skills of my own now don't I?" Chuck gloats, glancing across at Bela and Cole. "So nine guys, really? You're not fudging that number not one bit?"

"It sounds harder than it is," Cole says. "Always go for the knee."

"You mean like sweep the leg?" Bela asks.

"Remind me to teach you some combat moves," Cole says, grinning at her before turning back to the screen. "That's him."

"Uh yeah, he went to the party we just flashed," Chuck says.

"No, not Busgang, him!" he says, pointing to the screen. "He's the guy that was torturing me, he's Fulcrum."

"What just happened?" Bela asks as the screens turn to static. "Where did they go?"

"My guess is that Fulcrum made them and they just jammed the signal," Cole says, ripping his earpiece off. "Your friends are in trouble."

"Yeah, we get that," Chuck says. "We have to call General Beckman."

"For what?" Cole asks, grabbing some weapons.

"So she can tell us what to do next."

"I'll tell you what we do next, we go to the Consulate and we save them," Cole says, Bela joining him in the main area.

"No, no, no, Casey and Sarah said specifically for us to stay here," Chuck says, making his way over.

"Sometimes things don't go according to plan Chuck, you have to improvise," he says.

"Look, you can't just go run off and be the hero all the time."

"It's not about wanting to be a hero, it's about needing to be," Cole says, handing Bela a gun.

"Uh, a gun?" she asks, taking it from him. He watches her hold on it and smirks when she clicks on the safety.

"Seems like you're already well acquainted with them," he says, nodding as she straps it to her side. She glances down at herself, eyebrow raised.

"Huh," she says.

"So two guns, huh?" Chuck says, glancing at Cole. "Wow, you really are a bad ass."

"No Chuck, one gun," he says before handing him the weapon. "This one is for you."

"Oh, no wait," Bela says, watching Chuck take the gun. "Chuck isn't as... well trained as me with weapons."

"He'll have to learn fast then, won't he," Cole smirks, walking past the two.

"Um, let me just-yeah," Bela says, quickly clicking on the safety before handing the gun back to Chuck.

* * *

"So we're gonna need a cover, normally we stay in the service arena," Chuck explains. "Waiter, busboy maybe valet; how 'bout we mix it up this time, what do you think about dentists?"

"Dentists at a Consulate party?" Cole asks skeptically.

"Oh what, you have a better idea?" Chuck asks as the three reach the gate.

"I say we go as spies," Cole says, punching out the guard.

"A little obvious, but I guess we can do it your way," Bela grins, pulling Chuck along.

"You gonna knock him out, too?" Chuck asks as they hide behind some bushes near the building's entrance.

"There's civilians everywhere, we're gonna have to find another way in," Cole says as they duck down.

"We should have called Beckman, had her send a team," Chuck says.

"And miss out on all this fun?" he asks, nudging Bela. "Get in the game guys, before Fulcrum takes out your team."

"I think they already have," Chuck says, pointing at a window.

The two glance up, seeing Sarah and Casey being held at gunpoint while being escorted upstairs.

"Come on," Cole says, making his way around the side of the building before stopping underneath the fire escape ladder.

"Woah, you can't be serious, there's got to be a ground floor option!" Bela says, staring up at him wide eyed.

"This is good, we're going up here," he says, cursing as he stares down at his shirt. "Damn it."

"Cole!" Bela says, staring at the blood stain. "Cole, you're bleeding."

"I'm fine," he shrugs, turning to pull himself up again.

"No you're not, no you're not!" she says, Chuck helping her pull him down.

"What are you doing?" he asks as the two make their way up the ladder.

"Stay there," Bela growls before following Chuck across the roof.

They start looking through windows, trying to locate Sarah and Casey.

"Over here," Bela whispers, Chuck quickly moving to her side. "Go tell Cole we've found them."

He nods running back to the other side of the roof.

"Cole! Cole, we found them the guy who tortured you is inside with a couple of other big goons with guns," he explains.

"Okay, give me twenty seconds then Bela and you go in there and start taking guys out," he orders.

"No-wait, wait!" Chuck hisses. "Listen, about the whole gun thing? Casey and Sarah, they've never really let me… how do I say this, I've never fired one."

"Chuck, it's point and click," he says. "Point at the bad guys, pull the trigger. All else fails just give Bela your gun and let her have at 'em."

"What?"

"Twenty seconds," he says before running off. Chuck growls before making his way back over to Bela.

"Hey," she says, watching him take out his gun. "What the hell are you doing!"

"Cole said twenty seconds then we go in there and start taking out guys," he says, watching her grab her gun. "Cole said I can give you my gun if, y'know, I can't… y'know."

"Got it," she says, her eyes widening as the Fulcrum agent prepares to shoot Busgang. "Let's go!"

She quietly moves into the room, cursing as Chuck gets his foot caught in the window, dropping his gun on the ground. It fires, the bullet hitting Busgang in the leg.

"Nice one," Bela growls, tossing Sarah her gun before turning to help Chuck free himself.

"It really hurts," he says, pulling on it.

"'Cause you've twisted it, Einstein," she says, before shaking her head. "Sorry."

"You sound like Casey," he mutters.

"I know," she sighs, glancing at Busgang limping out of the room.

"Get the doctor!" Casey yells at her and she nods, picking up Chuck's gun on the way past before running out into the hallway.

She freezes as she sees the Fulcrum agent in the stairwell, his gun aimed at her.

"Bela!" Cole yells, lunging towards her and knocking her to the ground. "Sorry about that. I'm really not normally this aggressive with women."

"What-" Bela starts, feeling something dripping onto her shirt. "Oh my god, you've been shot!"

"I'm fine," he says.

* * *

"You're not going to tend to my injury?" Cole asks Bela as Sarah walks into the room with medical equipment and bandages. "Because I did obtain this injury rescuing you."

"Sarah is much more qualified than me," Bela explains. "I wouldn't want to injure you more. You'll be fine."

"Fair enough," he smirks, watching her leave.

"Here," Casey says, tossing a white shirt at her as she joins him in the main area of castle. "'Cause of the blood."

She glances down at herself, remembering the bloodstains from Cole's wound.

"Oh," she says, quickly unbuttoning it.

"Let me help," he grins, pushing the material down over her shoulders.

"Casey," she laughs, turning her head as his lips caress her neck. "We can't do this here; Sarah and Cole are just down the hall."

"Not to mention me," Chuck says, pausing halfway down the stairs.

"Hey, Chuck," Bela says, quickly pulling on the clean shirt.

"Where's uh, where's Sarah?" he asks.

"Down the hall, tending to beefcake," Casey says, watching Bela button up her shirt.

"Thanks," Chuck says slowly before leaving the two alone.

"You're gonna get us busted by the General one day," Bela says, shaking her head at him.

"Just say it's for the cover," he shrugs. "It is our cover after all."

"Mhmm," she smirks, glancing up as the others join them.

"Where's Beckman?" Chuck asks, turning as she clears her throat. "Hey…"

"Mister Barker, I understand you were hurt protecting Miss Tiernan," Beckman says. "I'm told you showed great courage."

"Just doing my job, General, actually it was Chuck and Bela who showed great courage on this mission and Chuck was also injured in the line of duty," Cole informs her.

"He got clipped by a windowsill," Casey smirks. "It's as pathetic as it sounds."

"Is there any new intel on Busgang or his Fulcrum handler General?" Sarah interrupts.

"We now know that the man Chuck and Bela identified last night, Doctor Howard Busgang is in fact codenamed Perseus," Beckman explains. "He's a former scientist who worked on the original intersect."

"Uh, why was that information not in our flash?" Bela asks.

"As a safety precaution, anything about the creators of the intersect was redacted from our files."

"I'm sorry, did you just say that this guy created the intersect?" Chuck asks, glancing at Bela.

"He was part of the team that developed its underlying structure, he knows as much about how it works as anyone," she explains.

"But that means that he might know how to get it out of our heads," Chuck says slowly.

"We don't know," Beckman says.

"But it's possible," Bela says hopefully.

"Perhaps," she says, Bela and Chuck exchanging excited glances at this.

"We gotta find him, we gotta find him before Fulcrum does," Chuck says.

"We are putting every available resource on it, Agents Walker and Casey prepare for a video link you're going to brief our field agents and bring them up to speed," Beckman explains. "Good luck."

"Roger that," Casey says, the others leaving Chuck and Bela standing there.

"We gotta find that guy," Bela whispers, Chuck nodding beside her.

* * *

"Hey, what're you looking at there?" Cole asks, joining Chuck and Bela as they stare at the computer screen in front of them.

"Uh, just y'know footage from the Consulate, maybe there's something we missed," Bela explains.

"You did great tonight," he says. "Both of you."

"Thanks," Chuck says. "You were your usual superhuman self."

"You saved my life," Bela says, smiling up at him.

He grins down at her before the two look up as Sarah walks in.

"Hey, the briefing is about to start," she says.

"Great, we'll be right there," Chuck says.

"On my way," Cole says.

"Oh you meant him," Chuck says. "Of course you meant him. Right."

"Come on, focus," Bela smiles, getting his attention.

They turn back to the screen, carefully watching the footage.

* * *

"Hey!" Bela says, helping Chuck inside his apartment.

"What happened? Are you okay?" Ellie asks, rushing over to the two.

"Nothing, nothing it's a flesh wound, it's nothing I'm fine," he says as they help him to the couch.

"Well, let's see," she says, lifting his leg onto the coffee table as he yells in pain.

"Sorry," she apologizes. "Devon, can you help?"

"Please promise not to go all crazy doctor sister on me, okay?

"Uh, oh we've got to get Chuck to the hospital to x-ray his leg," Ellie says.

"No we don't, I'm fine!" Chuck protests, glaring up at her. "Bela wrapped it for me, it's okay."

"Pretty swollen there," Devon says, pressing on the bandage as Chuck cries out in pain.

"I'm actually a lot tougher than people think I am," Chuck says.

"I know you are, buddy," he says. "But sometimes it takes a real man to admit when you're hurt."

"C'mon, it won't take long," Ellie says, Devon helping him up.

"Fine, but Bells you're coming," he says.

"What? Why? It's just an x-ray," she frowns.

"I'll need your company," he says. "Please?"

"Fine," she sighs. "I'll drive Chuck and we'll follow you guys in?"

"Thanks, Bela," Ellie smiles.

* * *

"Must you?" Chuck asks, staring across at Bela as she draws on his cast.

"Yes," she nods. "It's a fresh, clean, blank cast. It needs graffiti."

"I can't believe I have to wear this stupid thing in the first place," he growls.

"You know what Ellie said, you could have a hairline fracture," she says. "Can't wait to see you attempt the crutches."

"Ha, ha," he says, turning his head at the sound of a familiar voice. "Hey, Bells."

She looks up, recognizing it as well as she wheels Chuck from the room.

"That's-that's-that guy," she whispers as they reach the next exam room. "Busgang."

He quickly rings Casey, Bela continuing to listen in.

"Casey, it's Chuck, look we've found Busgang," he says. "He's here at the hospital."

"Tell him he's leaving," Bela says.

"He might know how to get the intersect out of our heads, we can't let him go," Chuck says into the phone as Bela turns her back towards the door as Busgang limps past the two. "Look I don't wanna be a hero, but sometimes you need to be. Besides, this is doable."

"Lean on me, here," Bela says, Chuck leaning heavily on her as they slowly follow Busgang.

* * *

"Do you think it'll be okay if I park here?" Bela asks, the two climbing out of her car. "I won't get towed?"

"You're fine, Bells," Chuck says incredulously. "C'mon, he's leaving!"

"Down!" Bela yells as Busgang turns around, Chuck pretending to tie imaginary shoelaces on his cast. "Idiot."

"Can you help me up?" he asks, reaching out to her. She pulls him up and helps him limp across the street to the building Busgang had just entered.

"Hi, we're looking for Mister Busgang?" Bela asks the man at the front desk.

"Do you have an appointment?"

"No… yeah, well, uh the thing is we're computer techs, um Nerd Herd," she explains, the two showing their Buy More IDs. "And apparently Mister Busgang has some major hard drive problems."

"Constellation Science, second floor," he says.

"Thank you," Bela smiles, groaning as she sees the stairs.

"I'm fine, I've got the railing," Chuck says, helping himself up.

"At least you're both injured, he's not that far ahead of us," she nods as they make their way down the hallway after him.

She curses, quickly running ahead to hold open the door.

"Oh wow," she says, taking a peek inside as Chuck slowly joins her.

"Huh," he says, glancing around at the room. "There he is."

They sneak in, quickly hiding behind one of the barriers as they get closer to him.

He slowly stands up, limping out of their sight.

"C'mon," she whispers, the two following him before frowning as they look around.

"Turn around," Busgang says, the two freezing as they hear a gun click. "Slowly. You're the guy who shot me!"

"It was an accident, I swear," Chuck says. "It was the first time I'd ever handled a gun and the first time that I'd shot someone, clearly those two things must be connected in some way. Hi, I'm Chuck, this is Bela."

"Stop talking," Bela says, eyeing the gun.

"Sit down," Busgang growls. "And don't move! I'd hate to accidentally shoot one of you."

"We didn't come to hurt you or take you in, we just want some answers about the intersect," Bela explains.

"What do you know about the intersect?" he asks.

"A lot, actually," Chuck says.

"Who are you?" he asks, Bela gripping Chuck's hand as she flashes on a piece of paper with the name Orion on it.

"Orion," Chuck says after receiving the same flashes.

"Did you just flash?" he asks them. "You're who they've been talking about, aren't you? But… there are two of you? I didn't believe it could be true; human intersects. Extraordinary."

"Maybe for you," Bela says. "But you have to understand for us, for us it's a nightmare. Living with this thing in our heads… it's ruining our lives."

"Is there any way that intersect images can be taken out?" Chuck asks. "You know, can a person be de-intersected?"

"Can it be removed?" Busgang asks. "Perhaps… I don't know. Only Orion would know."

"Orion, who is Orion?" Bela asks.

"It was his idea, his vision, everything is based on his work," he explains. "He put the team together, he drove the research, until he realized-"

"Put the gun down Howard," the Fulcrum agent from earlier says, interrupting him.

"Who's Orion, where can we find him!" Chuck yells. "Please, we need to know!"

"I never told them anything," Busgang says before he's shot.

"No!" Bela yells, Chuck and her leaning over him. They both turn around as Cole tackles the Fulcrum agent to the ground.

"Cole!" Bela yells as the gun fires, the Fulcrum agent standing and leaving him on the ground.

"That's the second time you've shot me," Cole growls.

"Let's hope third time's the charm," he says.

"Sweep the leg," Cole says, Chuck using his cast to kick the agent in the back of the leg. "The gun-guys, the gun!"

Bela's eyes widen as both her and the agent scramble for the gun, him reaching it before her and standing.

"Crap," she whispers, squeezing her eyes shut as Chuck and Cole yell as a gunshot sounds.

"Are you okay!" Sarah yells, Bela's eyes quickly opening as she inspects herself.

"Yeah I think so, I think so," Chuck says, Sarah leaning over Cole. "Oh you were talking to him, I thought you were talking to me but you were asking if he's okay because he's been shot again, right. My bad."

"No, I was talking to all of you," Sarah says.

"We're okay, right? We're okay," Cole says.

"Yeah, right," Chuck says. "Yeah, absolutely."

"Bela?" Casey asks, kneeling next to her.

"Completely fine," she says.

* * *

"Excellent work, team," General Beckman says. "While we would have preferred to take Busgang alive, by capturing his work we've significantly set back Fulcrum's ability to build their own intersect."

"Uh, what about that name Orion?" Chuck asks. "Busgang said that Orion could maybe get the intersect out of our heads."

"As of now we have no leads, but our best people are on it," she informs him. "Agent Barker? Medical transport for you back to the UK has been arranged."

"Thank you, General," he says before she ends the link. "So it seems my work here is done. Again."

Bela and Sarah exchange glances as he stands.

"Agent Casey, it's been a real pleasure working with you," he says, shaking his hand.

"Ah, likewise," he says. "But let me ask you something, when you escaped from Fulcrum you really take out nine guys?"

"The truth? It was more like twelve, I just don't like to boast," he shrugs, Casey chuckling at this.

Bela smiles as he turns to Chuck and her.

"So, what's next? Wing back to London and jam with the Stones?" Chuck asks.

"I have to say Chuck you were truly the most _special_ agent I've ever worked with," Cole says.

"Ha, special," Casey snorts from across the room.

"And you, Isabela, it's been a _real_ pleasure," he says, pulling her into a hug. "I hope to share a bed with you again soon."

"Not likely," she smiles as they pull apart.

"Good luck with getting that thing out of your heads," he says.

"Thanks but uh, we're beginning to think that's never gonna happen," Chuck sighs.

"You know what? I've got a not so secret secret for you; you want something bad enough, don't ever take no for an answer," Cole says before turning to Chuck. "And for god's sake man, carry a gun maybe two."

Chuck grins at this before Bela and him make their way up the stairs.

* * *

"Thanks for the ride, Bells," Chuck says as the two walk into the courtyard.

"Are you okay to get to your door?" she asks warily as he limps away from her.

"I'll help him," Sarah says, waving at the two.

"I'll leave you to it then," she smirks, making her way to Casey's.

As soon as she walks into the apartment he was on her, slamming the front door behind her and shoving her up against it.

"Hi," she grins, staring up at him.

"Hey," he growls, pressing himself further against her as he kisses her, her keys and bag falling unnoticed to the floor.

Kissing her roughly, he runs his hand down her thigh, bringing it up to rest around his waist. As he kisses her she runs her hands up and down his back tugging his shirt up so she could feel his skin as she went. After a few minutes she pushes him away from her, grabbing his hand as she leads him up the stairs. He picks her up and tosses her on the bed, leaning over to kiss her. She reaches up and unbuckles his belt, grinning up at him as she pulls his pants and boxers down.

He pulls her to her knees, kissing her as she tugs his shirt over his head. As soon as the shirt hit the floor he was in her arms again and had his tongue exploring her mouth in a passionate kiss. His hands move to unbutton her shirt, but it wouldn't cooperate with him.

"Fuck it," he growls, tugging the shirt and popping buttons off. "I'll buy you a new one."

He kisses her neck as he unhooks her bra, tossing it aside.

"Don't worry, I've got plenty," she shrugs, lying back into the covers. He smirks down at her, slowly sliding down her skirt and underwear before climbing over her, kissing her lips. Running his hands up and down her sides, he lightly touches the sides of her breasts, causing her to gasp. Her hands were moving all over his back.

"Casey," she gasps as he slides into her, her back arching and pressing her further against him.

Holding her gaze he slides forward, her breath breaking as he thrusts deep into her.

She frowns as one of his hands leaves her skin, sliding behind her head.

"What are you doing?" she asks, confused as she hears a snap. "Casey!"

He tosses the broken hair tie aside, quickly rolling over onto his back, his hands gripping her hips the entire time.

"That's better," he growls as her hair cascades down over her shoulders. "Was more fun when it was longer."

"It's growing," she shrugs, glaring down at him.

"Don't be like that, sweetheart," he says, his hands sliding down her back to cup her ass.

She smirks, leaning down and pressing her lips against his.

"You just want to piss me off," she teases, slamming her hips down against his.

He groans, his head rolling back into the bed.

She laughs, her hands sliding across his chest as she lifts herself up again.

"God, Bells," he hisses, his fingers digging into her skin.

She smirks down at him, surprise crossing her face as he flips her over onto her stomach, pressing himself against her back.

"Stop. Being. Such. A. Tease," he growls, thrusting into her as he says each word.

"You're just impatient," she moans as he slides his lips across her back, his hands resting on the bed either side of her head.

"Both are true," he chuckles against her shoulder as he pushes harder against her.

She curses, her breathing quickening as kisses down her back.

He bites down on her skin as she cries out, her hands clutching the bedding as they both come.

He carefully moves off of her before collapsing beside her, turning his head to face her.

"That was _good_," she says breathlessly, smiling lazily.

"Hmm," he says, tossing the sheet across them before pulling her to his side.

"You're too good to me," she mumbles, pressing herself further against him. "That's why you're making me breakfast in the morning."

He chuckles, pressing his lips against hers as a smile crosses her face.

"We'll see," he mutters.

* * *

A/N: Next chapter Chuck and Bela are contacted by Orion… can he help them remove the intersect and let them get back to their normal lives? Please review!


	31. Chuck vs The Predator

A/N: Sorry it's taken so long for me to update, I've been annoyingly busy and then I discovered that I had to reupload the previous chapters because my paragraph breaks had somehow disappeared. But that's all done now so hopefully chapters will be going up on a regular basis from now on.

Anyway, this chapter Chuck and Bela are contacted by Orion. Please review!

* * *

"Wost. Mission. Ever," Bela growls as the four slowly make their way into the courtyard.

"I have to agree… we should _never_ do that again," Chuck says.

"Mission's over guys, plan went just fine," Casey shrugs.

"Yeah, except that your plan necessitated that we do _actual_ plumbing!" Bela argues. "And for the record, none of us actually know how to plumb."

"We're gonna burn these jumpsuits, right?" Chuck asks.

"I second that motion," Sarah says. "No more plumbing on future missions."

"What, you've gone soft Walker? Ah, doesn't matter," he says, pulling out a biohazard bag. "Beckman got the intel she wanted. Bunch of nancies, ugh."

"I have to go to bed with that," Bela says, shaking her head. "Chuck, let me know if anything comes up with that uh game, okay?"

"Will do," he nods as she quickly follows Casey into his apartment.

"What game?" he asks.

"Oh, Chuck is trying to get a copy of a limited edition not yet released-"

"Bored already, Bells," he says, tossing the intel aside before wrapping his arms around her. "Shower time."

"Definitely," she says, screwing her face up as he leans towards her. "You smell. Bad."

"You think you smell any better, sweetheart?" he smirks.

"Shower," she says, grinning up at him. "Now!"

* * *

"Stop talking to the computer, Chuck," Bela smirks, pulling the toilet paper off of the desk.

"Um, um, Bela?" he stutters, getting her attention.

"What?" she sighs, joining him before freezing as she reads the screen.

_I know your secret_ was clearly printed in front of them.

"Ha ha ha," Chuck laughs, looking around. "Yeah okay, who's doing this? Your cleverness has been noted."

"Chuck, no," Bela whispers, nodding at the screen.

_You're the intersects. We have to meet._

"Why are we meeting?" Chuck asks slowly.

_Because I'm Orion._

"You can hear us?" Bela asks.

_This computer is not secure for long. I'm sending one of mine to your current location._

"What, wait?" Chuck says as they computer returns to the regular Buy More screen saver. "Hello? Hello?"

"Hey guys," Sarah smiles, causing the both to jump up.

"Hi!" Bela yells, nervously moving around the other woman and leaving Chuck and her alone.

"What, what is it?" she asks.

"Um," Chuck says, glancing at the computer. "There's something that I should probably tell you."

* * *

"What? What did you say?" Beckman asks angrily.

"We found him," Chuck says, Bela sitting nervously beside him. "We found Orion."

"Or actually he found us, about ten minutes ago in the Buy More, he tapped into one of the Nerd Herd computers using what I might add a very cool hack-"

"Isabela," the General interrupts, Bela sighing at the use of her full name. "How is that possible?"

"I-I, it probably has something to do with our… search," Chuck says slowly.

"Your _what_?" Casey asks the two.

"Chuck and Bela put together everything they knew about Fulcrum and Orion and then they built an automated web search," Sarah informs him.

"You told her?" Bela hisses.

"I think we hit one of his security nets," Chuck explains.

"That's not how this works you two, you don't conduct your own operations," Casey warns.

"What did he say? Orion?" Beckman asks.

"Well he knows we're the intersects," Bela says. "And he's going to send us a computer."

"Where's the computer going?"

"To us… we think, I don't know," Chuck shrugs. "We didn't really nail down the details."

"I want that computer under lock and key," Beckman says. "Orion's computer's are next gen, capable of overwriting military defenses even hijacking computerized weaponry; God help us if it falls into the wrong hands."

* * *

"Hold up," Casey growls, stopping Bela as Chuck and Sarah make their way to the Buy More. "You've been keeping this from me for how long?"

"Beckman obviously wasn't doing anything to help so Chuck and I took this into our own hands," she explains.

"And look what happened."

"Nothing bad happened!" she protests, folding her arms across her chest. "Chuck and me are _fine_."

"And what if something had gone wrong, huh?" he asks. "What if Fulcrum had contacted you first? You both could've been killed. It was stupid."

"You're just pissed that we didn't tell you!"

"Yeah I'm pissed!" he yells.

"If we had of told you, the first thing you would've done is call Beckman," she says. "We couldn't tell anyone, not even Sarah."

"You trust Sarah more than me?" he asks and she hesitates, her eyes being drawn to the screen.

"What's that?" she asks, and he turns to follow her gaze.

"Crap."

"What? What's happening?" she asks.

"Orion's taken control of a predator drone based out of Edwards," Casey says as Sarah and Chuck make their way down the stairs. "Signal matches the one used in Hong Kong, the drone is on an armed target."

"Is there are target?" Sarah asks.

"Please don't say Buy More," Chuck says, glancing at Bela.

"Orion sent your computer alright," Casey says. "It's inside a predator drone targeted to kill ya. How thoughtful."

"What?" Bela asks. "Why would he-no, there's no time we've got to get everyone out of the store."

"Fire alarm," Sarah nods. "Okay guys, you stay here and monitor the drone."

"But-"

"Stay!" Casey growls, following Sarah upstairs.

"He's not taking it well?" Chuck asks, glancing across at Bela.

"Obviously not," she frowns, the two watching the screen. "What is-did it just change course?"

"Guys, guys wait," Chuck says into his watch. "The drone's changing directions."

"Where's it heading?" Sarah asks.

"Telemetry puts it at the corner of Wilshire and Ohini?"

"That's the Beverly Hills Buy More," Casey says.

"Why would Orion target another store?" Sarah asks.

"He wouldn't," Chuck growls. "But I know who would. Look for Morgan, we're on our way."

"Oh my God!" Bela yells, quickly standing. "Morons!"

* * *

"Morgan, call me as soon as you get this?" Chuck says into his phone. "Don't think; just hit the call back button right now."

"No sign or Morgan, Jeff or Lester; those moron's have the computer don't they?" Casey growls as Chuck and Bela join Sarah and him in the Buy More. "Which one dies first?"

"Look, just go check the loading dock and we'll look somewhere else," Bela says as Chuck tries to call Morgan again.

"Hey! Hey, where are you!" Chuck asks as he picks up. "Morgan you have to listen to me, you have to stop playing with that computer right now! Buddy, just trust me and do it!"

"Where are we going?" Bela asks, following Chuck across the store. "Oh, no. No, no, no!"

She stops abruptly as he runs into the men's toilets.

"What are you doing?" Casey asks as Sarah and him rush over.

"Chuck's in there," she says, pointing at the door.

Casey rushes in, leaving Sarah outside with Bela.

"Yeah, I wasn't going in there," Bela says, shaking her head.

"What in heck is going on here?" Big Mike asks as everyone slowly makes their way out of the toilets, Bela sighing in relief as she sees the computer in Chuck's hands. "Is that the Roark Seven?"

"No, actually this-" Chuck starts before Morgan interrupts them.

"Yes it is sir," he says. "We wanted to take a closer look at it, figured it'd be okay. It's my fault."

"Nobody touches this computer until it goes on display tomorrow!" Big Mike orders, taking it from Chuck. "We are being watched, people! We can't screw this up!"

They watch as Big Mike storms off to his office, Chuck and Bela exchanging annoyed looks as the others leave.

"So I guess we know what our mission is," Chuck says, the four glancing in Big Mike's office.

"Rob the Buy More," Bela nods.

"Tonight," Casey says. "After the store closes."

"At least nobody else knows it's here," Sarah says.

* * *

"Here," Casey says, pulling Bela up through the hatch in the floor. She moves to her feet, looking around the home theatre room as Chuck and Sarah climb up.

"Okay, what's the plan?" Chuck asks.

"Well you two got us into this mess why don't you come up with the plan for once?" Casey asks.

"Okay, alright, you two will distract Emmett with your super spy skills while Chuck and I go hit Big Mike's office, he keeps the combination to the safe in his desk," Bela says.

"He keeps the combination in his office?" Casey asks.

"It's a Buy More, Casey, relax," Chuck adds, watching as Sarah and Casey take out their weapons. "No, no, no, there are no guns in our plan okay as annoying as Emmett is you cannot shoot, tranq or karate chop him in any way."

"You put them in charge," Sarah says, glancing at Casey. They set down their weapons, Bela exchanging looks with Chuck.

"Let's go," she says, the team splitting up.

Sarah and Casey make their way towards Emmett, allowing Chuck and Bela the chance to sneak towards the office.

They pause as they hear an odd noise.

"What the hell was that?" she whispers, the two looking around.

"I have no idea but let's go, he's distracted," he says, the two quickly making their way into Big Mike's office.

"We've almost got it Casey," Bela says into her watch. "We're in the office."

She watches as Chuck shuffles through Big Mike's desk, looking for the access code.

"Any sign of Emmet?" Chuck asks, unlocking the safe. She doesn't answer so he quickly takes the laptop before standing up.

"Oh," he says, seeing Bela being held at gunpoint before flashing on the man holding her. "What are the chances, two burglars robbing the same place what a funny coincidence."

"Hilarious," the man says. "Give me the computer."

"I think you should do what he says," Bela agrees, swallowing hard at the gun pressed against her back.

Chuck nods, slowly holding out the laptop before the Fulcrum agent snatches it from him.

"Good, now move," he says, motioning for Chuck to exit the office before following him.

"Guys," Chuck says, gaining Sarah and Casey's attention before the agent pushes Chuck and Bela towards them.

"You get one chance, drop your guns," he orders.

"Um, sir they don't have any guns," Chuck says beside Bela. "We personally put this mission together and I forbade them from packing."

"Why would you do that?" he asks.

"I don't know, I just think that guns make things too easy and I like my spies to be tough," Chuck explains.

"Look, you're not gonna shoot anyone, right?" Bela asks.

"It would be unprofessional not to," he says, readying his gun to shoot her before Casey fires.

"You had a gun!" she asks in disbelief.

"I always have a gun," he shrugs.

"Don't you dare move!" Sarah yells at the agent, watching as he puts something into his mouth.

"Uh guys," Chuck says, the four watching him as he froths at the mouth before dying. "I really-I really didn't need to see that."

* * *

"I contacted Langley, they'll send a team to dispose of the body tomorrow," Sarah says.

"Guys I don't understand, this was supposed to be the easiest mission ever how did a Fulcrum agent show up?" Bela asks.

"How did he know the computer was there?" Sarah adds.

"Who else knows about it?" Casey asks.

"Alright, well we got plenty of scary questions now let's get some answers," Chuck says, leaning over the laptop.

"Don't touch that computer," Beckman says, coming up on screen.

"Why?" Bela asks.

"You weren't contacted by Orion," she explains.

"Uh what? Wait, he knew that we were the intersects," Chuck says. "Who else could possibly know that?"

"Fulcrum," she says. "My analysts believe you walked into a Fulcrum trap."

"Are you certain? We didn't think-" Bela starts.

"No you didn't think, none of you did and you put this entire operation in jeapordy," she says.

"But General, if it's Orion this laptop is the only way to contact him," Chuck says, picking it up.

"Major," she says, Casey quickly taking the laptop out of Chuck's hands. "We can't take that risk. My NSA technicians will inspect the computer."

"Sarah, please," Chuck says, Bela biting her lips as everyone stares at the two.

"I'm sorry guys, orders," Sarah says.

"General, we don't have time to send this computer off to Washington and wait, if this really is Orion he may not contact us again!" Bela yells.

"You're right," Beckman says. "We don't have time. That's why I'm taking over this operation; directly. I'll be on site within the hour."

"What, you're coming here?" Chuck asks, Bela and Casey exchanging nervous glances.

"Hopefully I won't have to shut down operation Bartowski-Tiernan because of one foolish mistake," she says. "But if Fulcrum knows who you really are, pack your bags Chuck and Bela, you're leaving with me. Tell your family and friends... tell them nothing."

* * *

"Crap, crap, crap," Bela mutters, shoving various items of clothing into a bag.

"Bela," Casey says, moving towards her.

"No, no, no!" she yells, shrugging away from him. "Don't."

"It's orders-" he starts.

"Don't," she threatens, staring up at him. "I'm trying to get all my stuff from your place."

"No," he says, shaking his head. "Our cover is that you've moved in, so you need to leave some stuff there."

"Not everything," she says, still not looking at him. "But apparently I need to pack anyway."

"You're not leaving," he says firmly as she pulls the bag over her shoulder.

"You can't be sure of that," she says. "You don't know what she's going to decide, so don't say things like that."

He sighs as she makes her way downstairs, looking around the room before following her.

"Chuck," she says, meeting him and Sarah in the courtyard. "Can I leave this in your room?"

"Sure," he nods, glancing between Casey and Bela before turning back to Sarah. "Is Beckman here?"

"Uh, she's on her way," she says.

"Okay, what about the computer?" Bela asks, making her way back over to them.

"It's inside Castle, Beckman has a containment unit enroute to move it out," Casey says.

"Guys, we are certain that Orion is not Fulcrum, okay?" Chuck says. "This is the real guy, if we could just get forty to forty five minutes with her we could convince the General."

"No, she doesn't want to see either of you," Sarah says. "Please just wait in your room."

The two look around as they hear Beckman security inspecting the area.

"Go," Sarah nods, the two making their way through Chuck's bedroom window.

* * *

"This is stupid," Bela growls, lying next to Chuck on his bed. "We should at least get a chance to speak with her. Chuck?"

She sighs, glancing across at him as he sleeps beside her.

"Crap," she says, glancing at his phone as it vibrates on the beside table beside him. She bites her lip, quickly moving over him and grabbing it. "Hello? Chuck's phone this is Bela speaking."

"Hello, Bella, where's my computer?" a heavily disguised voice says on the other end.

"Orion. Orion?" she asks. "Um, uh, unfortunately your computer is currently locked up in a top secret Government facility."

"You have to get it," he says.

"I can't, my handlers think that you're Fulcrum and to be perfectly honest I'm on the fence myself."

"I'm not Fulcrum."

"Thanks, I'm glad we cleared that up but how can I be certain?" she asks.

"Look at Chuck's computer," he says and she glances over at the screen, flashing on the symbol.

"How did you know that was in the intersect," she asks as Chuck begins to stir.

"I put it there a long time ago."

"You really are Orion," she whispers, glancing across at Chuck as he stares at his computer screen in confusion. "You need to go."

"No, look I have to tell Casey and Sarah what you just did it's proof that you're Orion and on another note there's a small convention of agents gathered in the courtyard and my team is in a high level meeting. Though Chuck is finally awake."

"You can't trust them."

"Who, Sarah and Casey? They save our lives on a regular basis," Chuck interrupts, his ear against the phone as well.

"Go to your computer."

The two move over to the desk, taking a seat as surveillance from Casey's apartment comes up on screen, revealing the three in a meeting.

"Wow, Beckman is tiny," Chuck says.

"_General, what if Orion can help Chuck and Bela remove the intersect, erase it from their minds?" Sarah asks._

"Yeah, good question Sarah," Bela nods.

"_That's exactly what I don't want," Beckman says. "Chuck Bartowski and Bela Tiernan are absolutely vital to national security; they can never meet Orion. Do you understand that Agent Walker?"_

"_Uh, yes," she says._

"Sarah, no," Chuck whispers.

"_Yes, I understand."_

"You have forty seconds to exit, their surrounds is down," Orion says.

"What about the agents?" Chuck asks, Orion bringing up a blueprint of the courtyard on screen, showing them their exits.

"Leave your watches, go," he orders, the two doing as he says.

* * *

"They're gonna kill us," Bela whispers, Chuck and her sneaking into Castle.

"You'd rather not know if he can help us or not?" he asks, looking around before seeing the laptop.

"I believe he can help us Chuck, I'm just wondering if we can find him before Beckman ships us off to Washington which she will once she finds out what we're doing," she says, taking a seat beside him as he opens the device.

_Identify. Hold very still_ comes up on the screen.

"What's happening?" Bela asks, their faces being scanned.

_Verification complete. Positive ID: Chuck Bartowski and Bela Tiernan._

"Uhh that's good, who did you think we were?" Chuck asks.

"I'm sorry, I had to make certain this wasn't a trap," Orion says, a blurry image of him coming up on screen.

"Orion?"

"Hello, Chuck, Bela," he says. "It's good to finally see you face to face."

"Yeah, yeah same here," she nods. "Can I ask you a question?"

"Of course."

"The intersect that's in our heads right now..."

"You want to get it out, don't you?" he asks.

"Yes, yes, we very much do," Chuck says.

"We need to meet first."

"Okay, yeah, yeah, our calendars are pretty wide open," Bela nods.

"When can we meet tonight?"

"Tongiht?" Chuck asks.

"I'm in Los Angeles, we have much to discuss, we meet here in an hour," he says, bringing an address up onto the screen. "Orion out."

"Okay," he says. "Chuck and Bela... out."

"Don't scream, I have a splitting headache," the Fulcrum agent from earlier says as the two slowly turn to him, his gun aimed at them.

"Oh," Bela says, her eyes wide. "Oh, oh, you're not dead!"

"It's called tetrodigoxin," the agent explains. "A modified poison extracted from blowfish. Fulcrum agents are taught to survive its death state."

"That sounds like a fun class," Chuck says.

"Not really," he says. "Now, I need you to do exactly as I say. Stand up."

Bela does so immediately, Chuck taking his time as he knocks the computer around to face the security camera, revealing the address Orion had sent.

* * *

"How long have you known Orion?" the Fulcrum agent asks, Chuck and Bela seated in a hotel room facing him.

"We don't really know him," Chuck says.

"You're CIA right?" he asks.

"Sure," Bela says. "We're the Carmichael's."

"I've heard of you," he nods. "Orion's coming out of the cold for you, that's excellent work. I've been after him for three years. What's yours secret?"

The agent raises his gun as his walkie talkie sounds, alerting him to someone approaching from the east.

"I need one of you to stand by the window, so Orion can see you," he says.

Chuck and Bela slowly exchange glances before Chuck rises, slowly making his way over to the window.

_Is it safe?_ the laptop asks.

"Tell him it's safe," he growls, Chuck just staring at him. He aims the gun at Bela, his finger resting on the trigger. "Tell him it's safe."

_It's safe_ Chuck types before moving back to the window, staring down at a man on the corner.

_Downstairs_ comes up on the screen.

"Take him," the agent orders, Orion suddenly being surrounded by agents and dragged away. "Chopper's on the way."

The computer tells Chuck and Bela to run, the two staring at each other before the agent grabs Bela's arm.

"On behalf of Fulcrum, I'd like to thank you Agents Carmichael," he says, holding the gun against her head. "Wish I could give you a proper reward, but unfortunately I have to shoot you."

"It would be unprofessional not to," Bela says, glancing at Chuck before closing her eyes as she waits for the gun to fire, the sound of the window behind her shattering reaching her ears instead.

"Bells!" Chuck yells, helping her up as she opens her eyes. The agent was limping out of the room, his arm bleeding.

"What-?" she asks, looking around as Chuck pulls her from the room.

"Whoa!" Casey and Sarah yell, stopping the two in the hallway.

"No! They have Orion, they're gonna take him to the roof!" Chuck yells.

"No, we're not going to-" Sarah starts.

"I can save him!" Chuck yells, pushing past them and making his way up the stairs. "He's our last chance, Sarah!"

"Chuck!" Bela yells, staring at the helicopter as it takes off.

"No!" he yells, quickly opening the laptop.

"What's that mean?" Sarah asks, staring at the emergency protocol on the screen.

"I don't know," he says.

"Yes General, I read you," Casey says before turning to the others. "We've gotta get out of here, predator's heading towards us."

"He's trying to take himself out," Bela whispers.

"We have to go now," Casey growls.

"No, we can do this we can reprogram the predator," Chuck says, Bela kneeling beside him.

"Come on," Bela hisses as their access is denied again and again. "Come on!"

"We are leaving," Casey says, pulling Bela up.

"No! We have to do this he can't die!" Chuck yells.

"Chuck, you can't save him okay? You can't fix this one," Sarah says.

Casey wraps an arm around Bela as the predator hits the helicopter, destroying it instantly.

* * *

"It's better that Orion didn't fall into Fulcrum's hands," Beckman says, addressing the four in person. "He knew what they would do to him, he knew what they would gain."

"General, you don't want the intersect out of our heads do you?" Chuck asks.

"No, I don't," she says, ignoring Bela's cursing as she glares at her.

"Ma'am, Chuck and Bela have done everything we've asked of them," Sarah says.

"Agent Walker, you want to protect them but play time is over," the General says. "Chuck and Bela, I hesitate to say this-"

"Please, please hesitate," Bela growls, Casey shaking his head at her.

"We are in the midst of a secret war with Fulcrum and I believe the outcome of this fight will rest squarely on your shoulder's," she explains.

Casey grunts, Beckman turning to him.

"No, listen to the man he's right," Bela says. "We're not spies."

"Do you know how many agents I've lost to Fulcrum? How powerful they are? Only this operation, only the two of you have found a hole in our armor," Beckman says. "See I can't lose you, I need you. It's time for you to become spies."

* * *

"I dislike her even more now," Bela says, following Chuck into his room. "And she is _ridiculously_ tiny!"

He laughs as she flops down on his bed, taking a seat next to her.

"What are you-do you have dirty magazines under here?" she asks, lifting up his sheet as she feels something underneath. "Chuck?"

He takes the plastic envelope from her, tipping its contents out onto his desk.

"You didn't know about this?" she asks and he shakes his head, inserting the disc into his computer.

"_If you're watching this Chuck and Bela then something happened to me_," Orion says, his image coming up on the screen. _"Probably something not so nice. Well I hope we were able to meet so I could tell you my real name. The cards you're looking at are the schematics for the new intersect, I stole them from Fulcrum. Show them to no one but study them. You will need to understand the computer if you want to get the intersect out of your head. And yes it's possible. If you find Fulcrum's intersect, if you can get inside, you can get your old life back. Goodbye Chuck and Bela. This disc will self destruct in five seconds."_

"Oh," Bela gasps, moving away as Chuck's drive starts to smoke. They both look up as Sarah knocks, climbing through the window. "I'm just gonna go to the bathroom."

* * *

"Is it safe?" Bela asks, poking her head in Chuck's room.

"Yeah," he nods, waving her in. "Sarah left."

"Everything okay?" she asks, moving onto the bed beside him.

"We're… good," he says slowly, handing her a comic.

She stares down at the plans for the intersect taped on the pages.

"Clever," she nods.

"We're gonna get this thing out of our head somehow, Bells," he whispers. "No matter what."

* * *

A/N: And that's that. Next chapter we have Agent Forrest who, for the purpose of this story, I'm changing up her background a bit. I'll explain more at the start of the next chapter. Please review!


	32. Chuck vs The Broken Heart

A/N: For Agent Forrest's involvement in the following chapter, I'm changing her background a bit. Well, a lot actually. She's gonna be the same agent, same mission, etc but she's going to have a different relationship with Casey than shown in the episode. You'll know what I mean when you read it, I'd rather leave it as a surprise. And I guess it also lets me add another side to Casey. Please review!

* * *

"What were you doing?" Bela snorts, walking into the courtyard as Casey finishes spraying Morgan, Lester and Jeff with the hose.

"Getting rid of pests," he smirks. "What are you doing?"

"I'm coming home," she shrugs, following him into his apartment. "Because I live here."

"Yeah, about that," he says slowly. "Can you stay with Walker for a few days?".

"Why?" she snorts. "Need some alone time?"

"Yeah, actually," he says and she frowns, staring at him.

"Fine, I'll pack up what I need," she says, leaving the room quickly.

He sighs, watching her go before rolling his eyes as he hears her thumping around in the bedroom.

"Expecting someone?" she snaps, catching him checking his watch as she returns.

"Yeah, actually," he repeats, ignoring the hurt look briefly cross her face.

"Well, enjoy," she says, dragging her bag out the door before slamming it shut behind her. She stares down at her shoes for a moment before throwing her things at the bottom of Chuck's bedroom window.

"Knock knock," she says before climbing inside.

"Oh no, the Morgan door?" he asks, glancing up at her. "What's up?"

"Just didn't feel like using the actual front door," she shrugs, flopping down onto his bed and burying her face in his pillow.

"Ellie and Awesome aren't home."

"Then I could have used the front door," she mumbles, her voice muffled by the pillow.

"What's up?" he repeats, still waiting for an answer. She sighs, rolling onto her back.

"Do you want to go out tonight?" she asks, staring at the ceiling. He leans over her, frowning.

"What do you mean?" he asks.

"Go out, get drunk, the usual," she says in bored tone.

"Not the usual, no, Bela, not for a while now," he says. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing's wrong," she mutters.

"Won't Casey have a problem with you going out?" he asks.

"Casey's too busy entertaining his new guest," she says.

"New house guest?" he asks curious.

"Well he's expecting someone, he told me himself," she snaps.

"Maybe it's an old army buddy, doesn't mean it's a female," he shrugs.

"Then why would I have to stay at my place for however long they're staying there?"

"Wow," Chuck says, smirking slightly.

"What, wow?"

"First time I've seen you jealous," he says, chuckling quietly as she sits up immediately.

"I'm not jealous, Chuck, I'm just annoyed!" she snaps, glaring at him.

"Well, to answer your question, no, I do not want to go out tonight," he says, Bela noticing for the first time that he was in his pajamas.

"Well, then can I hang out for a little while then?" she asks, staring up at him hopefully.

"Fine," he laughs, tossing her a comic before flopping down beside her.

The two study the intersect plans taped to the pages inside, Bela yawning momentarily.

"Hope I'm not interrupting," General Beckman says.

The two look at each other before picking up their phones.

"Over here," she sighs, the two noticing her on the screen of Chuck's television.

"General, hey! What are you-"

"I wanted a private word with you, pardon the intrusion," she says.

"Private word, should I leave or something?" Bela asks, scratching her neck.

"I have no doubt that Bartowski will share this with you once you return, so you may as well stay where you are," she nods.

"Alright."

"I'd like to know if your relationship with Agent Walker is compromising your job performance."

"How do you mean, what does that mean?" Chuck asks slowly, Bela pretending to be more interested in the comic book.

"Has your situation gotten too complicated?"

"What-with Sarah? No! We're just like Bela and Casey, all professional all the time," he lies, Bela kicking him quickly.

"Agent Casey and I don't-we're-we are professional, and to be honest our cover could probably do with some more work," Bela explains.

The General stares at her for a moment before clearing her throat.

"As interesting, or uninteresting as that is Miss Tiernan, Agent Casey's reports indicate that your cover is working fine, though if you think otherwise...?"

"Never mind," Bela says quickly, averting her eyes back to the comic. "Back to Chuck and Sarah!"

"What? Sarah is a delight to work with," Chuck says.

"I want facts, I don't care about your feelings," the General says.

"What feelings?" Chuck shrugs.

"These feelings," she says, playing a series of videos on the screen. Bela leans forward as they play, her eyes widening before she glances at Chuck.

"My job is to make sure you're protected without interloping emotional complications from my team, we're going to have to do a forty-nine b," she says.

"Okay, if you could just tell us what a forty-nine b is that would help-" he says before she ends the transmission. "Or not."

"That was completely weird and a little scary," Bela says. "And hey, thanks for nearly busting Casey and me!"

"Is there anything to bust, though?" he asks, causing her to frown.

"No, probably not now but still, I'd rather not have the General know anything happened."

"So you're pretty sure it's over between you two?" he asks and she groans, falling back onto the pillows.

"I don't know, Chuck, but I do know that I'm not going to be sharing him," she says. "I may not have the best choice in men, but I do know that if he wants someone else, then he can go right ahead."

"But you like him?" Chuck asks as she gets up.

"He's alright," she says, blushing lightly and giving him his answer.

"Then fight for him," he says and she pauses. "If you want him, then fight for him. I'd fight for Sarah."

"And that's exactly why the General called you tonight," she smiles before climbing out the window.

* * *

"Come see Sarah with me," Chuck says, climbing out of Bela's car. "Please."

"Why? I don't need to talk to her, even though I'm meant to ask to stay with her but Casey's being such an ass I think I might stay at my own place just to piss him off further," Bela grins.

"That's great," Chuck says. "But while you and Casey have your little domestic spat, Sarah and I need to discuss what this forty nine b thing means."

"And you need me because?"

"You're not curious?" he asks, smirking as she sighs.

"Fine," she nods. "Let's go."

She rolls her eyes as he quickly makes his way to the Orange Orange, following him closely.

"Sarah, hey Sarah, I messed up," he says, Sarah's back turned to him. "General Beckman, she called me, asked me about our relationship and you know that conversation the one where I might have maybe mentioned that I'm crazy about you well I tried to cover but I'm not so sure that she bought it."

"What?" Bela asks, the two staring wide eyed as the woman they thought was Sarah turns around, both flashing on her.

"I'm Agent Alex Forrest, General Beckman sent me I'm your forty nine b," she explains.

* * *

"I'm sure you've all had a chance to welcome Agent Alex Forrest," Beckman says, addressing the agents.

"Of course, General," Sarah says.

"Then onto the matter at hand, we're all familiar with the elusive leader of a terrorist group who has been hiding in the Afghani caves for years," she explains. "Hassan Khalid."

Bela glares at Casey and Alex as they both mutter the same thing.

"Jealous," Chuck whispers in her ear, her eyes turning to him.

"A member of Khalid's inner circle is this man, Rashad Ahmad," she continues. "Rashad is privy to all of Khalid's nefarious plans; while on banking business for Khalid in Los Angeles a man we believe to be Ahmad had a heart attack. He needs a pacemaker and has checked into a hospital under the pseudonym Harry Lime."

"You believe this man to be Ahmad?" Alex asks.

"That is the mission," Beckman says. "Intelligence has only been able to attain grainy satellite images of Ahmad. Mister Bartowski and Miss Tiernan using their unique skill sets must infiltrate the hospital to confirm Ahmad's identity. Questions?"

"Sounds straight forward, General," Alex says, Bela glaring at her.

"Yeah, I have a question," she says. "I have a question, just a teeny little one; what exactly is forty nine b?"

"Mind fielding that one, Agent Walker?" Beckman asks.

"Agent Forrest is here to assess my performance and during the evaluation period she will assume the role of the asset's handler," Sarah explains.

"Which asset?" Bela asks, Casey glaring at her. "What? I'm just asking, I want to know if she'll be handling me."

Chuck slowly turns to stare at her.

"That came out _very_ wrong, what I mean to say is-"

"Major Casey is there a problem with your cover?" the General asks, becoming annoyed.

"No, ma'am, I'll take care of it," he nods before she ends the transmission. "Bela, I'll take you back to the Buy More."

She looks at the others briefly before Casey growls, signalling for her to follow.

"Chuck?" she asks.

"Meet you there," he says and she sighs, following Casey up the stairs.

"Are you trying to make Beckman suspicious of us?" he asks once they're outside.

"What's there to be suspicious about, we're over aren't we?" she deadpans and he turns to her before growling.

He grabs her arm, forcefully pulling her the rest of the way to the Buy More before moving into the theatre room and locking the doors.

"What did you mean by that?" he snaps, not loosening his grip on her.

"I take it Agent Forrest is your house guest?" she asks.

"And?" he asks.

"And I'm guessing that you and me will be having nothing to do with each other unless it's directly related to the cover?" she adds.

"Yeah, and?"

"And?" she yells. "The fact that you even have to ask that is answer enough!"

"This is not a time for you to rebel, Bela," he growls.

"You think that's what I'm doing?" she asks, letting out a laugh. "Don't worry, Casey, I'll still be your perfect little cover girlfriend alright? You got nothing to worry about there."

He watches her leave, still running that conversation through his head as he tries to work out what the hell just happened.

"You okay?" Chuck asks as Bela exits the theatre room.

"Yeah, it's over," she says, making her way to the Nerd Herd desk.

"You and John ended things?" Lester asks hopefully, overhearing them.

"No, nerd, now leave," Casey says, joining them. Lester mutters to himself before moving away.

"Could'a handled that one on my own, Casey," she says, folding her arms across her chest. "Like I said, 'perfect little cover girlfriend'."

"Yeah, I got it," he growls.

"So, are we not gonna talk about what just happened?" Chuck asks. "I mean, is it possible that someone kidnapped Sarah and replaced her with some kind of soulless replica?"

"Let me guess, you wanna talk about your feelings, Bartowski?" Casey asks.

"Please," he nods.

"Wrong, that's what got the forty-nine b involved in the first place," he growls before leaving the two alone.

"Chuck, buddy we are here to plead our case about Awesome's bachelor party," Morgan says, Lester and Jeff joining them.

"You know what not now guys we're right in the middle of something," Bela says.

"The world revolves around the sun, Bela, not you," Lester says, Bela glaring down at him. "I take that back."

"We just, we'd like you to reconsider," Morgan says.

"Reconsider what? You guys aren't even invited," Chuck says.

"You tell him or I will," Morgan says, turning to the others.

"Jeff and I, we've never been to a bachelor party," Lester says.

"Never known anyone qualified enough to land a woman for life," Jeff adds.

"So please, please, please, please do this," Lester begs.

"No and no," Chuck says, Bela smirking.

"Okay, how about this as a plus since Big Mike has been dating my mother he's made me lock up so we can use this place for the party, save a little cash and guess what? Spend it on lady dancers," Morgan says.

"You're disgusting," Bela says, shaking her head at them.

"And the answers no," Chuck adds, following her over to the Nerd Herd desk.

* * *

"The asset's and I will enter the facility, obtain uniforms to assimilate and attempt to confirm Ahmad's identity," Alex says.

"Chuck and you will enter, not Bela," Casey interrupts.

"What? Why?" Bela asks.

"You stay in the van with Walker," he growls. "There's a number of doctor's who would easily recognise you. Even _with _clothes on."

"Not that many," she mutters, folding her arms across her chest.

"Just stay in the van," he growls.

"Is there anything I can do Casey?" Sarah asks.

"I got it," Alex says.

"Casey, uh, what is that?" Chuck asks, nodding at the tweezers in his hand.

"You confirm Harry Lime's Ahmad, I'll sneak into the hospital's high security area where the equipment and donor organs are kept," he says.

"Why, aren't we just gonna arrest him?" Bela asks.

"Don't underestimate the gamesmanship of the US Government," Alex snorts.

"I'll place this GLG-4000 inside Ahmad's pacemaker before it's implanted; when he returns to Hassan Khalid's cave, he'll be a high tech human bug," Casey explains.

"Then not only will we know the terrorist's secret location, but we'll be one step ahead of their plans," Alex says.

"Check mate," Casey and Alex say together.

"Oh my God," Bela groans, staring at the two. "Are you freaking kidding me!"

"What's your problem?" Alex asks.

"Get the door," Casey says, interrupting.

"Are you guys crazy? I can't go in here, this is the hospital where Ellie and Awesome work," Chuck says.

"It's okay we've checked their schedules, Ellie's not working today and Devon's in surgery," Sarah says.

"Plus we can't send Bela since she's slept with half the staff," Casey adds.

"Yeah, we've established that already," Bela growls, pulling the van door shut angrily.

"You two are fighting," Sarah observes.

"Because Agent Forrest is his new house guest, he kicked me out," she says.

"He kicked you out?" Sarah frowns. "Do you need a place to stay?"

"I'm good, I'm staying at my place," she smiles.

"He won't be happy that you're staying alone," Sarah says, noticing Bela's smirk. "But that's the point."

"Look at her, she's like a female version of Casey," Bela says, rolling her eyes as they watch the cameras.

Sarah glances across at her, a small smile crossing her face.

"You guys flashed on Alex when you first saw her, right?" she asks, Bela nodding.

"Yeah, lots of undercover missions in different countries, yay for her she's a super freakin' spy," Bela says.

"And that's all you saw?" she asks.

"Yeah, why?" Bela asks, glancing at the cameras before freezing as she spots Ellie. "Chuck, your sister is thirty feet north east of you."

They watch as Ellie gets distracted by a nurse, allowing the two to sneak into Harry Lime's room unnoticed.

"Just don't be too quick to give up on Casey," Sarah says, Bela turning to her in disbelief.

"What is with Chuck and you?" she asks. "You were both against Casey and me being together, and now when things are coming to an end you're both pushing us together again?"

"You just don't have all the facts," Sarah says gently.

"Yeah," Bela snorts, staring at the screen. "Like Chuck just said, they're a match made in a very frightening part of heaven."

"Bela-" Sarah starts as the others open the van, climbing in.

"Everything okay?" Chuck asks, taking a seat next to Bela.

"I'm fine," she smiles, ignoring Casey and Alex. "Everything is fine."

* * *

"No, uh uh I am not getting my soon to be brother in law involved in a government spy mission, no way," Chuck says, walking down the stairs into castle.

"Fortunately you like felons and children don't get a vote," Alex says.

"Is there a different doctor we can access, I mean this mission does put Chuck's cover close to the action risking potential exposure," Sarah says.

"And boom, the words I were thinking just came out of Sarah's mouth," Chuck says, glancing at Alex. "Connected professionally."

"No time, Bartowski," Casey says. "Only a couple docs have that card key, your sister's ken doll happens to be one of them."

"Actually, I know another doctor who has the card key," Bela interrupts, the four turning to her. "Shouldn't be that hard to get, I know him _very_ well."

"No," Casey growls.

"Why not? It won't jeopardize anyone's cover, he already knows Bela so he won't suspect anything," Sarah says.

"Look, we've already decided on Devon as the target," Casey says. "We don't need your help."

"You're such an _ass_!" Bela yells, storming out the back.

Alex stares at Casey with a raised eyebrow.

"So…" she starts, pulling out her tranq gun. "We take out Devon, then."

"No, wait, wait, wait there will be no tranqing, no tranqing," Chuck interrupts. "I think I might know how we can have our spy cake and eat it too."

* * *

"Bela," Sarah says, pausing the other woman's attack on the boxing bag.

"Hey," she says, turning to face her. "Where are the others?"

"Devon's bachelor party," Sarah explains. "Chuck thinks they'll get him drunk enough to take the key card unnoticed."

"Good plan," Bela nods, pulling off the gloves as she notices Sarah's expression. "What's wrong?"

"I am no longer a part of the team," she informs her.

"What?" Bela laughs, shaking her head. "I don't understand…?"

"Agent Forrest made her assessment and Beckman has terminated me from this assignment," she explains. "I'm leaving in the morning."

"No!" Bela yells. "Let me talk to her!"

"Bela," Sarah smiles, resting her hand on her arm. "It's okay."

"So what, we're stuck with _her_?" she asks. "God help us."

"Come on," Sarah smiles, nodding towards the hallway. "I need your help with one last thing before I go."

Bela nods, following her out into the main room.

"You're still here Walker, I thought I made myself clear," Alex says.

"I'm just tying up some loose ends," she explains.

Alex nods, glancing at Bela before making her way up the stairs.

"What are we doing?" Bela asks as Sarah moves over to one of the laptops. She watches wide eyed as she types in Chuck's father's name. "Sarah…?"

"I need to do this for him, before I leave," she whispers, Bela nodding.

* * *

"With the use of Doctor Woodcombe's card key, Major Casey entered the hospital's restricted area and planted the GLG-4000 on Ahmad's pacemaker," Beckman explains.

"General Beckman?" Chuck asks.

"One moment, Mister Bartowski," she says before turning back to the others. "Turn up the volume; that is the sound of success."

"General?" Chuck asks, raising his hand.

"Soon Ahmad and his men will be on their way back to Khalid's hideout and we can begin our covert surveillance in earnest," she continues.

"General, look I understand that this is an important mission I do, but what about Sarah? How can she be gone just like that?" Chuck asks.

"It's the way it is, Bartowski," Casey says.

"No, why didn't you tell me this could happen with the forty nine b? We were under the impression that Agent Forrest was just here to evaluate Sarah, you lied to us," Bela adds.

"Come on, it's a job Bela," Casey says, resting a hand on her shoulder which she quickly shrugs off.

"No, for you it's a job," she growls. "For us it's our lives."

"We disclosed everything that was pertinent to you, that's the way the National Security Agency operates," Beckman says before ending the link.

"Get used to it," Alex adds, Bela gritting her teeth. "I'm gonna go clean my weapons."

Casey glances at her as she walks away.

"Go," Bela nods, his eyes turning to her. "Go clean weapons with her."

"Bela," he sighs.

"We're done, Casey," she says. "This whole thing, it's over. It's so over."

"Bells," Chuck says, quickly following her up the stairs.

* * *

"Morning," Bela smiles, climbing through Chuck's window. "What's with the serious face?"

"Devon and Ellie are freaking out over the key card," he explains, quickly dialling his phone. "Hey Casey it's me, look uh we gotta get Awesome his key card back or he's gonna be in big trouble-"

They both look up as they hear voices in the courtyard.

Bela frowns, glancing out the window before quickly turning back to Chuck.

"Uh, small problem," she says, the two quickly running into the living room.

"Oh this is not awesome, very not awesome," Chuck says, glancing out the peep hole of the front door.

"What are you doing?" Bela asks as he pulls on Devon's lab coat, turning back around as the men knock at the door. "Chuck?"

He moves past her, quickly opening it before they grab the two of them.

"We don't need the girl, shoot her," one of the men says.

"No!" Chuck yells, stopping them. "I need her with me, if you kill her, I won't help."

"Fine, bring her," he growls as he holds a scanner over Chuck, pausing as it beeps over his watch. "Government issue."

He tosses the watch into the fountain before placing sacks over their heads.

* * *

"Casey, I can't get in, I don't have access," Sarah says.

"She's off the assignment," Forrest says.

"Look, I think Chuck's in trouble," she says, holding up his phone for them to see. "He never goes anywhere without his phone."

"She's right," Casey says, letting her in. "Now Forrest, what I was gonna say earlier, I disagree with your assessment."

"About what?"

"Walker; she's a pro," he says. "Not only that she's the best damn partner I've ever had."

"I found this when I went to say goodbye to Chuck," Sarah says, making her way down the stairs.

"Which directly disobeys an order, you were fired for exactly this reason," Alex says.

"Then there's nothing stopping me from kicking your ass," Sarah growls, deliberately pushing past her as she makes her way over to the computer. "Bela's car was left in Chuck's parking spot; unlocked."

"She never leaves it unlocked unless she's only gonna be away for a few minutes," Casey says, watching Sarah go through the surveillance cameras off Chuck's apartment.

"Chuck's in the courtyard, he's fine," Alex says, Sarah zooming in on the fountain, showing Chuck's watch.

"What about Bela, doesn't she have a tracking device?"

"She must have left it at my apartment," Casey sighs, Alex glancing at him.

"Your apartment?" she asks.

"When she was there for our cover," he growls, ignoring her. "We lost the surveillance signal from Ahmad's heart, gotta be a connection between the signal's disappearance and Bela and Chuck's."

"I don't understand, isn't the GLG-4000 specifically designed to track deep inside the Afghani caves?" Sarah asks.

"You'd need at least six feet of solid steel to block that signal," Alex explains.

* * *

"Just had to bring me along, didn't you?" Bela smiles as Chuck and her get dragged into a bank vault.

"You'd rather have been shot?" he asks.

"Okay, Doctor Woodcombe," Ahmad's doctor says. "Time for you to remove the bug you placed inside my friend. If you don't save him, nothing can save you."

"Oh my God," Bela whispers as Chuck's handed a scalpel.

"What is this, who is she?" the doctor asks.

"He insisted we bring her," one of the men says.

"Very well," he sighs. "But watch her."

He places a mask over Ahmad's face, anaesthetizing him.

"The patient is now fully under," the doctor says.

"Cool, cool, good, good," Chuck says nervously. "Well done there, that's how we do things. I'm gonna need to take a minute, just so I can centre myself if you will, I uh need a mellow headspace when I operate-"

"Quit stalling, Doctor Woodcombe," he sighs.

Bela bites her lip as Chuck moves to make an incision on the left side of the man's chest.

"I'm a little out of practice, honestly," Chuck says, straightening up. "Maybe if you could do it?"

"Cut him open, or I cut you open," he growls, Chuck flinching and cutting his own hand with the scalpel.

"Oh my God, I'm bleeding, oh my God I'm bleeding," Chuck says, staring down at his hand. "I'm sorry, I just get a little woozy at the sight of blood."

"A surgeon who's afraid of blood?" the doctor asks skeptically.

"I know, a little ironic right?" Chuck jokes, Bela shaking her head at him before turning at the sound of gun fire.

"Get the door!" the doctor yells, the men moving to seal the vault. Alex shoots them both, the doctor moving to take over.

"Chuck!" Sarah yells, staring at the two before they're sealed inside.

"Who the hell is Chuck?" the doctor growls.

"Uhm… me?" Bela suggests, the doctor glancing down at her name tag, shaking his head before turning.

"Huh? I have no clue, I'm Doctor-I am Doctor Woodcombe, or Devon or Doc or sometimes people call me Captain Awesome but I have no idea who this Chuck-"

The doctor slices through Chuck's coat, revealing his Buy More I.D.

"Oh you mean that Chuck?"

"You're a dead man Chuck," he growls, trying to slice him again with the scalpel.

Bela grabs his arm, trying to get him to drop it but he pushes her away, slicing her arm with the scalpel.

"Bela!" Chuck yells, disconnecting the nitrous gas hose and spraying it towards the doctor.

He lunges at Chuck, knocking him to the floor. Bela chews her lips, looking around for anything to use as a weapon before turning back to the two at the sound of laughter.

"What-what?" Bela asks, staring down at them.

"I forgot why I was mad at you," the doctor laughs, Chuck joining in on the laughter.

"I was gonna cut you!" he laughs, Bela smirking as she helps Chuck up.

"Why do I always get hurt?" Bela laughs, Chuck pointing at the cut across her arm.

"I'm sorry," he chuckles.

"It's alright," she grins, the two sitting down against the wall with the doctor as the room fills with gas.

* * *

"You're lying," the doctor says, Bela shaking her head.

"No I'm not, think about it," Chuck says. "Ladybugs can't all be ladies, I mean then how would we get little lady bugs?"

"Chuck? Bela, can you hear me?" Agent Forrest asks over the walkie talkie.

"Your pocket's talking," Chuck says. "Oh hey, can I get that?"

"Yeah," the doctor nods.

"Hi, yeah we're fine," Chuck says, Bela laughing beside him. "We're also high on nitrous, but so is my man Zamir so... but we're not coming out until you find Sarah and you bring her back here."

"That's right, stand your ground," Zamir says. "Like Hassan Halid."

"Hey where is that guy?" Bela asks. "'Cause I haven't seen him around in a while."

"He's in the eastern Kurukick caves," Zamir says.

"Alright," Chuck says before laughing. "Good for him."

"Hey, turn off the gas you idiots, you inhale enough of that stuff it'll kill ya," Casey says over the walkie talkie.

"We're gonna die," Bela says, glancing at the other two before they all begin laughing again. "We're gonna die!"

"Open this door right now," Alex growls.

"No, look, we're not listening to you okay," Bela says.

"Nice!" Chuck grins, high fiving her.

"Chuck," Sarah says, pushing open the door.

"Hey," Casey says, helping Bela up.

"Hey," she laughs.

"You're bleeding," he says, lifting her arm carefully.

She snorts, pulling away as she laughs.

"I am," she nods, covering her mouth and she keeps grinning.

"Let me look," he growls, grabbing her forcefully.

"Let me go!" she pouts, wrenching her arm out of his grip and hitting Alex in the process.

"Whoops!" Bela laughs before shoving right past her.

"No," Casey growls, holding Alex back as she goes to follow.

* * *

"Both Rashad Ahmad and Doctor Zamir are in custody," the General informs them. "Though the mission didn't go according to plan, Chuck and Bela were able to ascertain the hidden location of terrorist Hassan Khalid; thank you, Agent Forrest."

"Just doing my job, General," Alex says.

"Agent Walker, despite your heroism you have directly disobeyed several orders-"

"Wait, General," Chuck interrupts. "Um, I'm sorry but isn't the most important part of being our handler's making sure that we stay alive?"

"It's okay, Chuck," Sarah says.

"No, it's not," Casey says. "Let him finish."

"Thanks," Chuck says. "Um, General what I'm trying to say is I think that maybe because my relationship with Sarah is so... you know, we're close we care about each other that's what I'm trying to say and I know it's not protocol or whatever but it's these feelings that ended up saving our lives."

"Agent Forrest diagnosed your emotional connection as a liability," Beckman says. "But I suppose it can also be an asset to the, well... assets. You may resume your post, Agent Walker. We hope not to see you too soon, Agent Forrest."

* * *

"Hey," Chuck says, meeting Bela in the courtyard. "I'm gonna head over to Sarah's, did you wanna come?"

She shakes her head, glancing at Casey's apartment.

"I'm gonna go clear out the rest of my things," she says, smiling lightly.

"Bells," he sighs. "Alex is leaving, maybe you should just talk to Casey."

"There's not a lot he can say right now to change my mind," she says, making her way over to his door and knocking.

"I was about to call you over," Casey says, opening the door.

"Yeah, well, just came to get the rest of my stuff," she says, pushing past him into the apartment.

She ignores Agent Forrest sitting in the kitchen as she walks up to the bedroom, grabbing some more clothes out of the wardrobe.

"What are you doing?" Casey sighs, leaning in the doorway.

"Need some more of my stuff," she shrugs. "And apparently I left my watch here."

"Bela, stop," he says but she ignores him, continuing to throw more and more clothes onto the bed. "Stop!"

He walks into the room, quickly grabbing her arm and turning her to face him.

She flinches as he applies pressure to the cut and he pulls back quickly.

"Sorry," he apologizes.

"It's fine," she mutters.

"What are you doing, really?" he sighs.

She stares up at him blankly before averting her eyes.

"If you want to sleep with her, go right ahead you know, if you haven't already," Bela shrugs, ignoring the brief flash of disgust cross his face. "So long as you know I'm not going to be sitting around alone and waiting for you."

"What's that supposed to mean?" he growls.

"I can easily start right back where I was," she says. "Just like before you got here."

She moves past him to the door but he stops her, pulling her around to face him.

"She's my _sister_," he says, watching her freeze.

"Sister?" Bela asks, turning around. "She's your _sister_?"

"Sure am," Alex says, leaning into the room. "So you can cut the crap."

"Excuse me?" Bela growls.

"She knows, Bela," he sighs.

"Well that's just great, then!" she yells. "Why don't you just tell the General everything then, get rid of my handler like you were gonna get rid of Sarah!"

"Don't be ridiculous, of course I'm not telling General Beckman," she says, Bela turning to Casey confused. He shrugs, moving back downstairs.

Bela growls, quickly following Casey.

"I'll get my things later, when _she's_ not here," she says.

"No, stay, let's talk," Alex yawns, motioning for Bela to join her.

"Casey?" she asks slowly.

"Stay, Bela," he says, nodding.

"I still think you're a bitch," Bela says, staring Alex down.

"And I think you're a trampy little whore that's going to get my brother killed," she says just as firmly.

Casey groans, watching as the two take a seat in the kitchen.

"You know, I never met Ilsa," she says, ignoring Casey. "You're the first I've met-since he became an agent that is."

"Alex-"

"What? You've made bad choices in women, especially when you were younger," she shrugs, Bela snorting at this. "And maybe even now."

"Alex!"

"She knows I'm joking, right kiddo?"

"Right," Bela says through clenched teeth.

"Relax," she says. "I read your file, you seem alright."

"You read my file?" she asks in disbelief.

"It was protocol, plus I was curious," she shrugs. "I'm saying that I'm okay with this. With you and my brother."

"Oh," Bela says, nodding. "Okay then."

"Well, it's time I left," Alex says, standing. "I have another assignment I need to get to."

"It was... good to meet you," Bela says slowly before gasping as Alex pulls her into a tight hug.

"You're good for him," she whispers in her ear before pulling back.

"Thanks," Bela nods, taking that in.

"John," she smiles, pulling him into a quick hug.

"Alex," he smirks. "Stay out of trouble."

"You too," she laughs, picking up her bags.

Bela makes her way into the kitchen as Casey helps her out, grabbing a beer from the fridge before pulling herself up onto the counter.

"What?" Casey asks as she stares at him, making his way over to her.

"I am amazed at how little I know about you," she whispers.

"To be fair, you've never asked if I have a sister," he says and she rolls her eyes at him. "What'd she say to you?"

"You mean you didn't hear the many insults she was throwing at me all night?" she asks.

"That's just how she is-it's how we both are," he shrugs.

"Yeah, I can see that," she smirks.

"At least she actually talked to you, that's more than I can say for a lot of people," he chuckles.

"You trying to tell me your sister actually likes me?" she asks.

"Yeah, I am," he nods.

"Whatever you say, Casey," she smirks.

"I'm serious," he says. "I'm sorry but she likes you."

"I'll take your word for it," she says.

"So do you have to go get your stuff from Walker's now?" he asks.

"Aren't we presumptuous," she smirks.

"Alex is gone now, you can move back in," he shrugs.

"If Alex knew about us then why couldn't I have just stayed here in the first place?" she asks.

"Because I only told her about us tonight," he says. "She worked it out earlier, though."

"Hmm," she nods before biting her lip. "But my stuff is at my place, not Sarah's..."

"What?" he growls.

"I stayed at my place while Alex was here," she mumbles, staring at her feet.

"Bela," he sighs. "Do you want Fulcrum to find you?"

"Yes, I'm really sure they monitor my apartment," she deadpans.

"Not the point, you need to be more careful," he explains.

"You need to not kick me out," she shrugs, jumping down from the bench.

"Okay," he says, resting his hands on her hips.

"Okay?" she asks and he nods.

She smiles, resting her head against his chest as she sighs.

* * *

A/N: Ahh Casey's sister. It was a spur of the moment decision. And whilst both Chuck and Bela did flash on Agent Forrest, it doesn't come up as her being related in any way to Casey.


	33. Chuck vs The Dream Job

A/N: Sorry for the long wait between new chapters but right now I'm working two jobs and doing CrossFit training six times a week and not getting a lot of time for anything else really so I'll try and get these out as often as possible but if there's a long wait, you at least now know why. Anyway, Chuck's father returns home in these next few chapters causing quite a stir for the Bartowski's and Team Chuck. Please review!

* * *

"I get up to go to the bathroom and I come back to you playing with your damn phone?" Casey asks, climbing back into bed next to Bela.

"Oh shut up, I've spent all night _and_ half the day in bed with you," she laughs, turning the phone away from him. "Plus you were on the phone earlier."

"Calling in sick to the Buy More; for both of us," he says, watching her. "And you being secretive about who you're talking to doesn't help things."

"It's just Chuck," she mutters, once again rolling away from him. "Just give me a minute."

"What's so important that it can't wait until later?" he asks, moving closer.

"Casey," she growls, trying to move away. "Hey!"

She glares up at him as he pins her on her back, snatching the phone from her grasp.

"Just let me send that message and I'm all yours," she says, smiling sweetly.

"Fine," he says, handing her back the device as he rolls onto his back. She hits send before placing the phone on the dresser.

"Now," she grins, climbing on top of him. "I think I might go work on my car."

He stares at her in disbelief as she moves off of him, quickly grabbing some clothes before making her way into the bathroom.

"Bela!" he groans.

"All night and half the day," she says, walking out of the bathroom in a pair of shorts and a tank top. "I need a break before _you_ break _me_, okay?"

"Uh huh," he says, turning his back to her.

"Alright, stay in here and sulk," she says before pausing as she hears him begin to snore. "Un-freakin-believable!"

* * *

"Bela!" Chuck calls, climbing out of Sarah's car with his dad.

"Goddamn it!" she hisses, hitting her head on the underside of her car.

"Bells," Chuck says, tapping her leg with his foot. "Company."

She rolls out from underneath, staring up at Chuck confused before turning to the man beside him.

"Oh my god," she says, quickly standing up and hurriedly wiping her hands on her shorts. "Mister Bartowski, it's uh, it's great to meet you, sir."

"Dad, this is my best friend Bela, Bela, this is my dad," Chuck beams.

"It's nice to meet you," he says, shaking her hand quickly.

"What're you actually doing?" Chuck asks, staring at her stained clothes.

"My oil needed changing," she shrugs.

"You know, if you wanna take a look at the Herder...?"

"Funny," she says, shaking her head.

"Is Ellie home?" he asks, Bela nodding.

"Good," he says, turning to his dad. "That's good, we'd better go inside then."

"Good luck," Bela says, smiling.

* * *

"Bells, Bela!" Chuck yells, causing her to jump and bang her head once again.

"Chuck, damn you!" she cries, sliding out from underneath the car.

"Look at this, you have to look at this," he says, shoving a piece of paper in her face.

"What are you-?" she asks before flashing on the flier for Roark's OS launch. "Aw, crap."

* * *

"It seems Chuck and Bela's flashes match a lot of chatter we've been hearing about Roark Instruments lately," General Beckman informs the four. "The CIA now believes Ted Roark's latest software may contain a virus that if released could cause irreparable damage to the world's computer networks."

"Why don't we just contact Roark and tell them our concerns?" Sarah asks.

"We can't, out of fear of alerting those who might be involved," she says. "Instead we're going to send in Chuck and Bela as new RI employees; you will see if you flash on anyone or anything. Your interviews are in one hour."

"Are you guys okay with that?" Sarah asks.

"Why wouldn't they be?" Casey shrugs.

"Well Chuck's dad went to school with Roark, there could be some history there," Sarah explains.

"Your daddy issues gonna jeopardize our mission?" Casey asks.

"Hey," Bela growls, glaring up at him.

"No, no I'm fine," Chuck says. "I mean forget Apple, forget Microsoft I've dreamt of working for Roark since College-I mean, we both have right Bells?"

"Yeah," she nods before biting her lip. "Although does it actually qualify as a dream come true if we go in as janitors?"

"You're going in as yourselves," Sarah smiles. "Your names, your resumes, your Stanford degrees."

"Really?" Chuck asks, grinning at Bela.

"You're both perfectly qualified to go in as yourselves," she continues.

"The two of us at RI?" Bela beams, turning to Chuck.

"The two of us at RI," he nods.

* * *

"What's wrong with you?" Casey asks, glancing at Bela fidgeting next to him.

"She's nervous," Sarah says, shaking her head at Casey in disbelief. "You're gonna do great Bela, this is just another interview. You're more than qualified for the job."

"Alright, okay," Bela says, grabbing her resume as she opens the back of the van. "I can do this."

"You can do this," Sarah smiles reassuringly before she leaves. "You could've been more supportive of your girlfriend."

"Cover girlfriend," Casey says.

"You're still playing that card, seriously Casey?" Sarah scoffs. "Idiot."

* * *

"Hey," Chuck whispers, Bela walking up to him. "Word of advice, don't make an ass out of yourself on the ball."

"What?" she snorts.

"Nothing, good luck," he says, grinning as she makes her way into her interview.

"Hey, you must be Bela," the man says, standing up and shaking her hand. "I'm Drew. Welcome to Roark Instruments, where the future happens first."

"I love it here," Bela grins.

"Everyone does! Please, have a seat."

Bela looks around before noticing the fit ball beside her, now realizing what Chuck meant earlier.

"Oh, uh here," she says, handing him her resume before carefully taking a seat on the ball.

"So, I see you went to Stanford," he says. "Me too, class of '07!"

"'07, wow you've only been out a couple of years," she nods.

"That's eons in the software game, c'mon where've you been?" he laughs. "Seriously, tell me what you've been up to since you graduated."

"What have I been up to? Uh, well I've actually been working at a Buy More in the Nerd Herd division which has given me quite a bit of experience working with different computers, operating systems, technologies; you know I've gotten the opportunity to work with many different, unusual personalities."

"Alright," Drew nods, glancing down at her resume. "What would you say is your biggest weakness?"

"I would say probably my greatest weakness is how little I've pushed myself since college," she explains. "I've been trapped in a job, a life that I don't really want but I don't really see a way out."

"Being here's a good start," he smiles. "Well, clearly you're qualified. It doesn't hurt that you're fellow Stanford alum; I'd love for you to take the job."

"Really?" Bela breathes before grinning. "Thank you so much!"

"Congratulations, Bela," he smiles, shaking her hand as Chuck walks in. "Bela, this is Chuck; he's just been hired today as well. I'll be giving the two of you a joint tour of the company."

"Pleased to meet you, Bela," Chuck says, shaking her hand.

"Same to you," she says, smirking at him before they follow Drew out into the hallway.

"Hey, what's that?" Chuck asks.

"The lobby," Drew says.

"What's that?" Bela asks.

"Elevator."

"What's that?" Chuck adds.

"The bathroom," Drew smiles.

"Man this place is awesome!" Chuck grins.

"Over there is RID and that hallway leads to our testing facilities," Drew says as they follow him. "Sorry about the short tour, we've been so busy with this software release."

"Alright," Bela smiles, the three turning a corner and seeing Ted Roark making his way towards them.

"Hey Ted, this is Chuck and Bela our new employees," Drew says.

"Hey, welcome to RI," he says, shaking their hands. "Never wash those hands."

"We uh, we never will sir," Chuck says.

"No sir's around here, except for her," Ted says, pointing at one of the female employees behind him before laughing.

"Well uh, okay Ted," Bela smiles. "It's just an honor to be here and working for your company."

"Easy honey, you already got the gig," Ted jokes. "Ready to take over the world?"

The two grin as Roark and his entourage make their way past them.

* * *

"You know it's weird," Bela says, watching Casey change. "Even though I know it's not real I am excited about this job."

"As long as you remember it's just an assignment," he says.

"No, I know that," she says, frowning. "But maybe if I'd have gotten this job right after college, then maybe I wouldn't have become the intersect and-and-"

"And you're over-thinking things," he says, pulling her to her feet. "This is just another mission okay? In and out."

"Mhmm," she nods before sighing.

"Bells," he says, staring down at her before clearing his throat. "Uh, we should go, we'll be late for dinner."

"Thanks," she says, quickly moving past him.

* * *

"I'm so excited," Bela grins, walking through the doors of Roark Industries with Chuck.

"Dream come true," he laughs, glancing at the line of people before doing a double take.

Bela turns to see what's keeping him before holding back her laughter.

"Either this is a mission, or you two are very good at hiding your hobbies," Chuck says to Sarah and Casey dressed as nerds.

"We're going in to retrieve the source code for the new operating system, without it Roarke can't release his software or the virus," Sarah explains.

"It's gonna take time to break into the secured wall," Casey adds.

"We need the two of you to keep an eye on Roark in case anything goes wrong," Sarah continues.

"Keep an eye on Roark?" Bela asks.

"Have a nice first day," Casey says.

"You..." she says slowly, eying his attire. "Never mind."

* * *

"They're really pushing it," Bela whispers to Chuck as they listen to Roark's speech. "He's gonna launch this thing any second now."

"What's happening?" Chuck asks.

"Can't crack the security, kind we've never seen before," Casey replies before an alarm sounds. "Uh oh."

"Please tell me that was a good uh oh," Chuck says.

"Chuck, he's counting down," Bela says, turning to him.

"There's a countdown happening," Chuck says.

"Okay listen, we cannot access the source code you guys are gonna have to do something to stop the release," Sarah says.

"But we could get fired!"

"It's not your real jobs, hurry!" Casey growls.

Bela stares at Chuck wide eyed as he pulls her out on stage with him.

"No, wait!" Chuck yells.

"Oh my god, I hate you," Bela whispers, turning red as everyone stares at them.

"What the hell are you doing?" Roark asks. "No autographs right now, thank you... get off the stage."

"We uh, we can't," she whispers. "I'm so sorry, but you can't press that button. The CIA believes that your software has been infected with a virus that when released will cause worldwide computer damage."

"Do you have any idea how crazy you sound?" Roark asks.

"Yeah," Chuck nods. "But please, you have to believe us."

"No, I really don't," Roark chuckles before turning to the audience. "I'm sorry for the little technical delay, must be my rock star magnetism. Drives some people batty."

"Crap," Bela frowns as he signals for security before Chuck snatches the button from Roark. "Chuck!"

She quickly dodges the men before following him into the audience.

"Chuck!" she gasps as Drew knocks Chuck to the ground.

"And you call yourself a Stanford man," he says, staring down at him after picking up the button.

"Are you okay?" Bela asks before they're both dragged out by security.

* * *

"Oh, hey," Bela says, walking into Chuck's room. "I hope I'm not interrupting."

"No, my minute's up," Chuck's dad says, slowly making his way over to the door. "Nice to see you, Bela."

"You too," she smiles before closing the door, turning to Chuck as he stares down at his Roark employee manual. "What's up?"

He quickly grabs the comic book from behind his back as she moves to his side.

"Bela," he says slowly.

"Oh my god," she whispers, staring down as the intersect plan Orion had given them covers the Roarke Instruments folder exactly. "Roark has an intersect."

* * *

"What?" Casey growls after Chuck an Bela explain their discovery.

"An intersect; Roark has one," Bela repeats.

"You think Roark is hiding a super computer the size of a football field inside his office?" Sarah asks.

"Yes!" Chuck nods. "Well, maybe."

"What exactly did you flash on?" Casey asks, staring them down.

"We-we didn't flash on anything technically, we were just thinking," she says.

"It makes sense, we know that Fulcrum is working on trying to implant intel into their agents, but they still need a super computer-an intersect to crunch all that date," Chuck explains. "Only someone like Roark could do that!"

"Ted Roark is working for Fulcrum?" Sarah asks skeptically.

"We know it sounds crazy, but what if RIOS is actually a trojan horse, like a virus designed to steal intel from the government, corporations, anybody-everybody!" Bela adds.

"And the two of you just thought this up, out of the blue?" Casey asks. "No flashes, no proof? Beckman will laugh in our faces. Guess the apple doesn't fall too far from the crazy tree, does it?"

"I'm sorry, guys," Sarah whispers.

"Sarah, Sarah, think about what it could mean if Roark has an intersect," Chuck says. "We could finally get this thing out of our heads, we need your help to break into Roark's office."

"Beckman's orders are clear, so are the consequences of not following them," Sarah says. "I'm sorry."

"Looks like we're on our own," Bela says, glancing up at him.

* * *

"Are you sure you want to do this?" Chuck asks, arming himself as Bela does the same beside him.

"You know I am," she nods before handing him a couple of guns. "Use these ones."

He nods, strapping them onto himself.

"Cute outfits," Casey says, the two freezing as they hear his voice.

"Aw, crap," Bela says, seeing him as they turn around. "Give us that back."

"First you tell me what it is," he says, opening the folded piece of paper in his hands.

"Interesting question," she says, glancing at Chuck. "Those are designs for the intersect."

"You stole Roark's designs?" he asks.

"Orion's," Chuck explains. "He sent them to us before he died."

"There's a map hidden in the plans that matches the layout of Roark instruments," she adds.

"Orion contacted you and you didn't tell us?" Casey asks.

"I think he wanted us to break in," Chuck says.

"Yeah and I want you to take off my gear before I break your geek neck, you too sweetheart," he growls, staring down at the plans.

Bela snatches them from him before aiming her gun at him.

"Bela!" Chuck yells.

"I know what I'm doing," she says. "We want this intersect out of our heads, are you gonna help us or not?"

"Come on, Bela this isn't funny," Casey growls, watching her.

"I'm being deadly serious, emphasis on the deadly part," she says, not taking her eyes off of him.

"You're not gonna shoot me," Casey laughs as he steps forward, grunting at the pain in his shoulder.

"I will," Chuck says, shooting another tranq dart as Casey takes another step.

"Oh, oh wow," Bela says, Casey leaning heavily on her.

"You're not going," Casey says as they slowly slide to the floor, Bela pressed against the wall.

"Chuck?" Bela asks, staring up at him. "Help?"

Chuck jabs another tranq into Casey's neck before pulling him off of Bela and helping her up.

"Should we?" Chuck asks, pausing as he stares down at the other man.

"Oh, he'll be fine," she shrugs, pushing Chuck up the stairs. "Let's go!"

* * *

"So... how're we meant to get past the security system when Casey and Sarah couldn't even manage it?" Bela asks Chuck, the two staring at the panel on the wall.

"Uh..." he says before they turn at the sound of voices down the hallway. "Crap."

The two quickly try the doors in the hall before finding one unlocked and ducking into the room.

"It's your dad," Bela whispers, the two listening to the men arguing outside before Chuck's dad gets punched in the stomach. "Chuck!"

She ducks behind him as he fires continuously at the men before his guns are empty, the men falling to the ground.

"Dad, dad," he says, the two rushing over to him. "We have to go, we have to go right now. I can explain all of this to you later, for now all I can tell you is we're not who you think we are."

"It's good to see you again," a man says as the door slides open. "It's good to see all of you."

"Don't worry guys, I'm not who you think I am either."

"Hands up," the man says, Bela reluctantly taking her hand off the grip on her weapon and raising her arms.

"What's he doing?" she whispers, nodding at Chuck's dad as he presses something on his watch.

The doors slide shut, trapping the man in between them and allowing the senior Bartowski to punch him out before reopening the doors.

"Are you coming?" he asks, turning to the two as they stare at him in disbelief.

"Oh my god," Chuck says, slowly stepping towards him. "You're Orion."

"We should hurry," he says, making his way down the hallway.

"Let's go!" Bela says, pulling Chuck along.

"I can't believe this, my father invented the intersect," he says.

"That's not true, I didn't invent all of it just the really cool stuff," he says, leading them through another door. "I understand how this might complicate things."

"Complicate things? Orion-Mr Bartowski we saw you die, we saw you explode in a helicopter," Bela says.

"I see how I could have given you that impression, I've had to die quite a few times; one of the perils of being Orion," he explains as they continue to follow him. "This isn't what I wanted, but when I realized what the government was gonna do with the intersect I had to run. Your guys wouldn't be the only ones looking for me, and more importantly I knew I had to stay away from you and your sister."

"Wait, so dad you were protecting us?" Chuck asks.

"I knew I'd have to spend the rest of my life hiding from the intersect, but I never imagined that it would fine either of you. It must be such a curse to have all those secrets trapped in your heads," he says. "That's why I came back, that's why I let your handlers find me, it's my fault Fulcrum's after all of us now."

"You wanted us to flash on your crazy schematics, you wanted us to break in here why didn't you just say who you were?" Chuck asks.

"Would you have trusted me? After not seeing me for ten years, I just appear and bring you to RI and tell you that I can get the intersect which I also built out of your heads? What would you have said to that?"

"That you were a little bit crazy," Chuck says, Bela nodding.

"Exactly, now one of you punch in the code or we'll be a little bit dead."

"Dad you don't understand it doesn't work like that, unless it's in here," Chuck says pointing to his head. "We can't do it."

"Yes you can, I designed it-that computer in your heads. Just flash, and it'll be the last thing you ever have to flash on."

They turn to him before focusing on the keypad, the two flashing after a moment.

Bela quickly reaches forward, entering the correct sequence of numbers before they're allowed access into the lab. They quickly make their way in, staring at the table.

"That's the intersect?" Bela asks.

"Two point zero, my baby, my greatest creation-after you and your sister of course," he says, Bela smirking at this. "Let's make that the hot seat."

"Uh," Chuck says before dragging another seat across and sitting down next to Bela and opposite his father.

"We need to make some minor modifications to Roark's software," he says, typing hurriedly.

"Your dad is amazing," Bela whispers to Chuck.

"So uh, what exactly does your new program do?" Chuck asks.

"Well usually the intersect works in the other way around, but I don't see any reason why it shouldn't be able to take out information-in theory at least," he explains. "What you're gonna see are a bunch of encoded images that will cancel out the ones that you originally uploaded."

"Right," Bela says slowly. "Are you saying you're gonna overwrite our brains?"

"That's a good way of putting it, yes," he nods. "Ready?"

"No," Chuck says, pointing at the table. "Your glasses."

"Right," he nods, putting them on. "Good luck Charles, Bela."

Chuck reaches across, taking Bela's hand in his as she smiles lightly at him before they turn back to the screen.

"Something's wrong," he says as alarms sound. "No, no, no! It's not working!"

"No, it doesn't work," Roark says, walking in with his men. "But I'm sure you'll have it up and running in no time. You always did have a way with machines, Orion and remember I always had a way with the girls. Remember? Hey c'mon man what's the matter? No hug for your old partner? No? I've been looking for you for a long time, the years have been unkind. I could offer you a good moisturizer, huh? No? Put him on the helicopter. And kill the CIA agents."

"He's my son!"

"He's your son? Congratulations, that's great I had no idea!" Roark says. "Kill his son and the floozy."

"Floozy?" Bela whispers to Chuck.

"That's the part you're focusing on?" he whispers back.

"I'll build anything you want, give Fulcrum their intersect," Orion says. "But my son and his friend walk away from here. You're gonna torture me? After ten years away from my family my son and his friend walk away!"

"Alright, alright, I'm not a monster," Roark says. "I may be a little bit of a monster; today is their lucky day. Shotgun on the chopper, let's go."

"Charles, take care of your sister," Orion says.

"No..." Chuck whispers.

"Take care of your sister and yourselves," he says, guiding Chuck and Bela through the door.

"Dad-"

"You can do this without me."

"I'm not gonna leave you," Chuck says.

"Remember when I told you not to trust your handlers?" he asks, Sarah and Casey moving up behind the two. "Maybe I was wrong."

"If they're going to walk, they should do it now," one of the guards says.

"Goodbye, Chuck."

"No!" Chuck yells, trying to reach his dad as Casey, Bela and Sarah hold him back. The door shuts in front of them as Orion is dragged away by the men. "No!"

* * *

"In our raid of Roark Instruments we failed to retrieve either the intersect or Stephen Bartowski," General Beckman informs the four. "Clearly we recognize that Fulcrum's possession of Orion poses an unparalleled security threat."

"You mean Fulcrum's possession of my father," Chuck says.

"I promise you, no one at the CIA knew your father's secret identity," she continues. "I also promise to entrust his recovery to our best team."

"General _we_ are your best team!" Bela yells, turning to Casey for support.

"I can't believe I'm gonna say this," he mumbles. "Bela's right."

"No, you cannot put Chuck back in the field it's too dangerous, Fulcrum knows that he's Orion's son and that Bela is also involved," Sarah says.

"Look, as soon as my dad finishes the new intersect for Roark, we're worthless to you," Chuck interrupts. "Obsolete, and Fulcrum wins. The only thing that matters now is getting my father back and you need us to do that."

"Very well," General Beckman says. "The assignment is yours _providing_ your personal entanglements do not interfere with the mission."

Bela grips his hand as she ends the communication.

* * *

"Do you want to order take out or what?" Casey asks, unlocking the apartment before Bela slowly follows him in.

"I'm not hungry," she mumbles, kicking her shoes off.

"You've been quiet the whole ride home and now you're not gonna eat?" he asks, flicking on the lights as she turns away from him. "Bela?"

"I'm fine," she says, quickly running up the stairs.

"Bela!" he yells, following.

She slams the bathroom door shut, Casey quickly making his way in before she can lock it.

"Bela?" he asks as she fervently wipes at her tear soaked cheeks, curled up on the closed seat of the toilet.

"I'm fine," she sniffs, resting her head on her knees. He ignores her, leaning against the sink.

"Gonna tell me what's wrong?" he asks.

"Chuck's dad," she says, turning in his direction as she stares at his hands. "Chuck lost his father for a second time."

"And?"

"Never mind, this is exactly why I didn't want to talk to you," she hisses, standing up.

"Bela, stop," he says, pulling her against him. "Look, I'm not good at this. At all. When you've pushed emotions aside for as long as I have, it's hard to understand what others are going through. You _know_ that I care about you, but sometimes I'm not going to say the right things. I don't mean to hurt you."

"Damn it," she whispers, trying to stop the tears.

"We'll get him back," he says, pulling her closer. "We'll find Chuck's dad, and get the intersect out of your heads and get you back to normal."

"Normal?" she asks, a smile playing at her lips as she slowly looking up at him.

"Back to how things were," he shrugs, pressing his lips against hers. "We're gonna get it out of your head."

"I hope so," she whispers.

* * *

A/N: Next chapter will be out asap and soon we'll be onto the season three chapters!


	34. Chuck vs The First Kill

A/N: Oh wow, sorry for the huge wait between chapters. I could write a long list of excuses or I could just get on with the story, and I think I know what we'd all prefer! Please review!

* * *

"Fro yo?" Sarah asks, walking up to Chuck and Bela in the Buy More. "Time to try our latest flavor, Obama Guava; I didn't make up the name."

"Uhh, no thanks," Chuck says, Bela reaching past him and grabbing the yogurt. "Not that I'm not thrilled that the CIA has found a new yogurt recipe I was just, I don't know kinda hoping the CIA would find my father first."

"The government is doing everything they can to find him," Sarah says.

"How do we know we can trust them?" Bela asks, frowning. "The government wants to keep the intersect in our heads, Chuck's father is the only person who can get it out. It's not rocket science."

"Okay, I know that you guys don't trust them, but do you trust me? Casey?" she asks.

"Casey..." Chuck starts.

"Yeah," Bela says, elbowing him in the side. "We trust you both."

"Good," Sarah says. "Then I promise you we're gonna find him."

"Well hurry, please," he says. She nods, smiling at him before making her way out of the store.

"This really isn't their greatest flavor," Bela says, tossing the half eaten yogurt in the bin.

"Hey, Big Mike wants us over there," Morgan says, walking past the two.

"All of us?" she asks, Chuck and her following him. "This can't be good."

"Nothing's good," he mumbles.

"What the matter, Chuck?" Morgan asks, glancing across at his forlorn friend. "Your dad's back in town, right? You're dating the hottest slice of the proverbial pizza and you are best friend's with Bela and me... which means two out of three ain't so bad, right? C'mon, you're king of the world, dude!"

"Bartowski!" Big Mike yells. "Get it together!"

"Yeah, king of the world," he sighs, Bela squeezing his hand.

"Emmett's got an announcement, so listen up!" Big Mike yells.

"Alright, now sometime over the next twenty four hours a Buy More corporate evaluator will be here to evaluate yours truly," Emmett informs them. "Now normally in this situation I would expect a certain tribe to use this opportunity to make me look bad."

He frowns as the group start chuckling amongst themselves.

"Hahaha, laugh it up cretins, the tech jobs are being shipped to India faster than you can say would you like fries and a soft drink with that?"

"I can't work fast food, Emmett, I keep Kosher," Lester says.

"Count me in on the trip to India, I've always dreamt of seeing Lester in his native environment," Jeff adds.

"You test me, and you'll be flipping burgers in Encino for the rest of your miserable life," Emmett says. "Now, let's show corporate that we're a lean, mean, Buy More machine. So comb your hair, lower those whore skirts, and for god's sake Barnes, I am tired of seeing your butt crack. Pull 'em up!"

"Well, that went well," Morgan says, Bela rolling her eyes at him.

"Hey, update from Beckman," Casey says, staring down at his phone.

"What? Is it information on where my father is?" Chuck asks.

"We're about to find out, c'mon," Casey says before resting his hand against Bela's back. "For the record, I happen to like your whore skirt."

"Shut up," she smirks.

* * *

"We've used every resource to find him with no luck," Beckman informs the group. "I'm sorry, Chuck. Fulcrum's kept a tight lid on your father's whereabouts."

"That's your update?" Chuck asks. "Well I'm sorry, but that's a non-update and you know what? It's not good enough."

"Watch it Bartowski, that's a US General you're talking to," Casey warns.

"No, he's right," Bela interrupts. "We've spent the last year of our lives being tortured, dangled off of skyscrapers, shot, stop me if I've forgotten any other glamorous perks of this job. We've continually done everything that you guys have asked us to do but once Chuck's dad gets kidnapped all you can say is sorry?"

"I understand your disappointment," Beckman says.

"Do you?" he asks. "Then why haven't we found him yet? We've captured Fulcrum agents before, can't we talk to them?"

"Yeah we tried that but since the new administration discontinued water-boarding," Casey explains. "Fulcrum agents don't talk."

"And even if we did we have no reason to trust them," Sarah adds.

"I'm willing to do whatever it takes, by any means necessary," Chuck says. "So what if I could get a Fulcrum agent to talk."

* * *

"What're you doing?" Bela asks, Casey handing her a gun before turning to her confused. "They don't allow weapons inside, they'll take it from me before we even reach her cell."

"Right," he says, frowning as he takes it back. "What if something happens?"

"Y'know, Casey, I think that's why they've got all the armed guards there for," Chuck interrupts, turning as he glares at him.

"You're one hundred percent sure you want to go through with this?" Sarah asks the two.

"More like forty five," Bela says, glancing at Chuck. "Maybe thirty."

"But I guess we don't have any other choice, do we?" he asks before climbing out of the van.

"We'll... be back," Bela says before following. "This is creepy... so creepy."

"Just don't look at them," Chuck says, trying to avoid eye contact with the prisoners as they wait for the guard to unlock the cell in front of them.

"Chuck. Bela," Jill says, staring up at the two.

"Hello, Jill," he says.

* * *

"So how's the food?" Chuck asks, making small talk as the three sit at a table in the eating area. "Standard prison issue or are they doing anything special with the sauces?"

"What are you doing here?" Jill asks.

"Fulcrum has kidnapped Chuck's father," Bela explains. "They're using him to rebuild their intersect and when he's done..."

"Look I don't even want to think about what's gonna happen when that happens," he interrupts.

"Let me guess, you want my help?" Jill asks. "Forget it."

"I get that you're mad at us, but it's not our fault you're in here," Bela frowns. "You betrayed your country-"

"You betrayed me," Chuck says. "I thought you cared about me, but now all I'm asking is for my family back please."

"I might be able to help," she sighs. "But I want a deal."

"Uh... we're not really authorized to make any kind of deal," Bela says. "But in this case I think we can make an exception."

* * *

"Can't believe we made this deal," Casey says, clicking a tracking device onto Jill's ankle. "You run or double cross us, your deal is void plus as a bonus, she'll shoot ya."

He glances across at Sarah as she stares her down.

"Chuck's dad, where is he?" he asks.

"I don't know exactly," she says. "But I do know someone who might know where they're holding him."

"Who?" Sarah asks.

"My Uncle Bernie," she says.

"That better not be a joke because I don't have a sense of humor," Casey growls.

"He's not lying," Bela says.

"Yeah, I don't remember you ever mentioning an Uncle Bernie to me when we were dating," Chuck says.

"He's not a real uncle, he's a friend of the family," she explains. "He's the one who first recruited me into Fulcrum."

"And how do we know we can trust him?" Sarah asks.

"He's my dad's best friend," she says. "If there's one person I can trust, it's him."

"Where's Bernie?" Casey asks. "We'll flush him out, torture the location out of him."

"He's guarded almost twenty four hours a day."

"What does _almost_ mean?" Bela asks. "When is Bernie away from his body guards?"

"Usually only for family functions," she shrugs.

"Are there any coming up?" Chuck asks. "Birthdays, confirmations? Well then, I guess we're gonna have to create one of our own."

* * *

"That ring cost the tax payer's a fortune Bartowski, don't lose it," Casey growls into the comm-link.

"Ever the romantic," Bela sighs, Sarah smirking at this.

"You're the expert on engagement rings," he mutters.

"Yeah, bring _that_ up again," she growls.

"What's with you two? You're either having sex or bickering, find some middle ground for everyone's sake," Sarah interrupts.

Casey snorts as they listen to Jill's father make a toast.

"Congratulations Chuck, you're now qualified for conjugal visits," he says, Bela and Sarah exchanging unamused glances at his comment.

"There's a car approaching, this could be him," Sarah says.

"It's him," Bela says, sitting back as she shakes her head clear.

"Bartowski, this guy's a mad man; his code name's the carnivore," Casey explains. "Seems he's got a real appetite for blood."

"Hahaha, great," Chuck laughs nervously.

"They're gone," Sarah says as Chuck takes out his wire.

"Let's go!" Bela says.

"No, we can't just blast in and blow Chuck's cover," she explains, glancing at the two.

"What?" Bela asks before realization hits her. "No... no! I'll stay in the van."

"I don't think so," Sarah smiles, Casey and Bela exiting the van. "Try and get your cover straight _before_ you reach the front door."

"What?" she asks before turning to Casey. "Wait, what?"

"Come on," he says, pulling her forward before ringing the doorbell.

"Hi," Bela smiles as the door opens.

"Hi," Jill's dad says. "And you are?"

"I'm Chuck's cousin, Bela, and this is my boyfriend John," she smiles.

"Talk about beauty and the beast, huh?" he jokes, shaking their hands. "You must be loaded. This is my lovely wife Judy."

"Pleased to meet you, so where's the lucky couple?" Casey asks.

"They're having a sit down with Uncle Bernie, and if I know him Chuck is dead meat by now," he laughs.

Bela laughs nervously as she glances at John.

"Is there a bathroom upstairs, I hope," he says before rushing off.

"Oh, I have to go-we had a very long drive," Bela says before following. "What, where is he, what did he say?"

"They're in the attic," he says as she follows him up stairs.

"Chuck, are you okay?" she asks as they reach them, Bernie on the floor.

"Yeah," he nods.

"Congratulations Bartowski, it's your first confirmed kill," Casey says, smirking up at him.

"Kill? No, no, no, no you don't-no I didn't kill anybody, okay? He just died, it was an accident," he says.

"Maybe he had a heart attack," Bela says.

"What do you call your move, anyway?" Casey asks.

"What move?"

"Girly pose I saw you in, what do you call that?"

"The Morgan."

"The Morgan?" Bela grins, turning to Chuck.

"He invented it in high school when girls were beating him up, you kinda duck a little bit, protect the important-you know your face and your-what're we gonna do?" he asks, gesturing at Bernie.

"You take one arm, I'll take the other," Casey says, Chuck helping him as they make their way back downstairs.

"What happened?" Jill's mother asks.

"We were telling him about our wedding plans, he just kept knocking back scotch's until the next thing we knew he was dead drunk," Chuck says as they carry Bernie outside.

"Call me Bernie!"

"Yeah, get some rest!"

"Okay!" Casey growls, holding up one of Bernie's arms in a fake wave.

"Yeah, we should get him home," Jill says as she hugs her parents goodbye.

"Bye everyone," Chuck says.

"Yeah, thanks!" Casey says as they close the front door. "Way to go, killer. You just offed the only person who knows where your dad is."

* * *

"Yes General, I understand," Sarah says, hanging up as Chuck and Bela make their way down the stairs into castle.

"Sarah, what's happening?" he asks.

"We're moving Jill back to prison," she says.

"What? No we can't-we can't send her back, we haven't found my father yet, she still might know something and we had a deal!"

"Chuck, I'm sorry but the mission was a bust and Jill only put us in more danger."

"That wasn't her fault, it was Bernie!" Bela adds. "He manipulated and betrayed her."

"You both know Jill, she's a Fulcrum agent," Sarah says.

"Exactly, that's exactly why we need her she knows Fulcrum; their procedures and secrets," he says before she frowns at him. "Okay I know she tried to kill you and I'm sorry about that, but she is the best chance I have at rescuing my father, he's out there somewhere and god only knows what's happening to him."

"You both have to realize that there are some people that you just cannot trust," she explains.

"Sarah, I already know that," he says. "We don't trust anyone, except for you."

"Well... Casey," Bela mutters before thinking about it. "Actually..."

"Right now, I need you to trust me," he says. "Jill is the only way I'm going to get my dad back."

"Chuck, the answer is no."

They watch as she leaves, Chuck taking out his vibrating phone.

"Hey buddy."

"Chuck, where you been man I've been calling you all day," Morgan says.

"Sorry buddy, I've just been a little busy that's all."

"Alright well listen, we have a situation here at the Buy More and I could really use your help," he says.

"Bela and I are on an install, we can't help you right now."

"Okay, well just bear with me one second here okay, what do you do when the person you think you can trust the least can actually get you the thing you want the most?"

"You know what Morgan? Sometimes you just need to trust a person," Chuck says. "Do whatever it takes."

"Yeah that's what I thought. Roger that, thanks buddy."

"Bela?" Chuck asks, noticing that she'd disappeared.

* * *

"I'm sorry... they're sending you back to prison," Bela sighs, tapping on the glass to Jill's cell.

"It's not your fault," she shrugs before standing up. "At least I got to see my family one last time. I'm sorry I couldn't help find Chuck's dad."

"It's okay," Chuck says, joining the two. "I'm sorry about your Uncle Bernie. I had no idea 'the Morgan' was so lethal."

"I'm glad you haven't lost your sense of humor," Jill smiles. "You changed me, promise me that you won't let them change you, either of you."

"I'll do my best," the both say.

"I liked wearing this," Jill says, playing with the engagement ring on her finger. "Even if it was just for a few hours."

She passes the ring to Chuck through a hole in the glass.

"They were never gonna let me go," Jill says as they turn away. "Even if we found your dad, were they? NSA, Fulcrum, the CIA, they're all the same, they all lie. They're not gonna let you both go either. Watch your backs."

"What're you two doing, you shouldn't be talking to her," Casey says, Sarah and him joining them before unlocking Jill's cell.

"What are you doing, are you taking her now?" Bela asks, frowning as she watches them shackling her former best friend.

"I guess this is goodbye," Jill says.

"Yeah," Chuck says. "Well thanks for trying."

They all look around as a phone starts ringing, all of them turning to stare at the body bag containing Bernie.

Chuck unzips it, nervously reaching into Bernie's pants and taking out the phone.

"If it's Fulcrum, this could be my last chance to find out where they put my dad," he says.

"No wait, don't answer that Bartwoski," Casey growls before Chuck accepts the call.

"Bernie, talk to me."

"_We're moving Orion, Bill wants all agents back to base."_

"They're moving my dad and they want all the agents back to base," he says to the others.

"Okay, keep him on the line we're going to trace his call," Sarah says.

"Yeah, I'll be back at the base pronto, but first there's a couple of things I'd like to discuss," he says.

"_Discuss? Discuss what?"_

"You know, stuff-stuff to discuss uh particularly my salary."

"_Your salary?"_

"I've been burning the midnight oil and if you ask me my work speaks for itself."

"_Bernie, what the hell are you talking about?"_

"Also, uh there are other pertinent things that we could talk about including but not limited to... the dental plan, and vacation days, and I could use a gym membership, I mean have you looked at me? Excellent, good, we'll talk about it at the base, bye!"

"Dental plan," Bela snickers.

"Okay, looks like the call came from sixteen hundred DeStefano Court, it's an office building somewhere off Mulholland..." Sarah says.

"I know that building," Jill interrupts. "It's the headquarters for the Strength Leadership corporation. They run CEO and management training seminars, but really that's just a front for a Fulcrum recruiting facility."

"Why would they take my dad there?"

"Because they have holding cells for prisoners on the eighth floor."

"We'd better hustle," Casey says.

"Take me with you, I've been there before I know my way around the building and the security system," Jill says.

"Guys, we need her," Bela says.

* * *

"Guys you can't trust anyone, I know it looks like a boring office building but it's run by Fulcrum," Jill says over the comm link.

Chuck and Bela look around at the men in the building, both flashing on them all.

"Casey she's right, these are not pencil pushers they're Fulcrum assassins," Bela whispers to him.

"Relax, going gets rough Bartowski can always deploy 'the Morgan'," he mutters.

"We've tapped into the security feed, I'm watching your every move you're gonna be safe," Sarah says.

"When you get to the desk, tell him you're here for auditing," Jill instructs them.

"What is that like accounting?" Chuck asks.

"No, it's like testing," she says.

"Welcome," the man at the desk says.

"Yes, we're here for auditing," Bela says.

"Second floor up the stairs," he says once they've signed in.

"Okay, now go past the testing center down the hallway to the elevator," Jill says. "Holding cells are on the eighth floor. Make a right and go down the hallway."

"Hey, what're you doing here?" an agent asks them in the hallway.

"Uh, we're here for the auditing," Chuck says.

"Who set the meeting?" he asks.

"Tell him Mr Dornhoffer," Jill says.

"My Dornhoffer," Casey says.

"You're on the wrong floor," he says.

"Oh, we were told eight," Bela says, the agent shaking his head. "No? Okay, sorry about that but it's a common mistake I'm sure."

"Just do what he says, I'll find another way to get to your dad," Jill says.

"You three are late," a woman growls as they walk into the seminar.

"Sorry," Chuck says as they take a seat.

"Before the test, we have a brief video for you to watch," she says.

"What do we do now?" Bela mumbles once the video finishes.

"You have to take the test, you don't want to raise their suspicion," Jill says.

"I hate these tests," Casey growls, glancing over at Bela's answers.

"You're not gonna cheat," she says, blocking his view.

"You're kidding, right?" he smirks.

"No, I'm not kidding."

He shakes his head, turning back to his test before they finish.

"Congratulations, your test scores were very impressive," the woman says to Chuck and Bela. "Bill Burdye our seminar leader would like to meet you both."

"Bill Burdye is head of recruiting, he'll know where Chuck's dad is," Jill says.

"How did I do?" Casey asks.

"I'm sorry sir, you failed," she says. "I'm afraid you had one of the lowest scores we've ever had."

Bela snorts at this.

"Come with me," she says, turning back to the others.

"Um, you know what our friend lacks in the intellect department he does make up for in brawn so certainly you must have some kind of a job moving boxes or heavy equipment," Bela says.

"Come with me," she repeats.

"Okay," they say, standing up, Casey making a move to follow.

"Casey stand down just let them go, we can track them using their watches," Sarah says.

Chuck and Bela exchange nervous looks as they're led down the hallway.

"Ah, welcome," Bill says as they enter his office. "I'm Bill Burdye."

"Charles Carmichael and Isabela Carmichael," Chuck introduces.

"Nice to meet you, please sit down."

"Thank you," Bela says as they take a seat.

"Ah, so I know who you really are Charles," he says. "That your father, is Orion."

"Orion?" Chuck asks. "I'm not really tracking, I don't know what you're talking about."

"We're just here for the seminar, leadership first right?" Bela asks.

"Oh, well then you're out of luck, the seminar is full," he informs them. "Are you wearing a wire?"

"That's preposterous," Chuck says before the men surrounding them pull out their guns.

"Are you wearing a wire?"

"Yes, yes we are," Chuck says, both Bela and him removing their earpieces and handing them to him.

"You made a big mistake coming here to rescue him," Bill says.

"Sir, we have a break in," one of the men says.

"They try to escape, shoot them!" Bill yells before leaving the room.

"Guys, honestly we're not gonna try to escape, scout's honor," Chuck says.

Bela snorts, glancing out the window at Casey posing as a window cleaner. Both Chuck and her duck behind the desk before he fires at the men.

"Looks like I passed that test," Casey says, jumping in the window.

"Where's Sarah?" Chuck asks.

"Came to rescue you, got pinned down by some Fulcrum agents," he says.

"Okay, let's go get my dad," Chuck says.

"Test-taking skills won't do any good out there, get on the computer and find out which room he's in."

They nod, moving to the computer as Casey leaves. They begin searching before Bill rejoins them.

"Get away from that computer now," he says.

"I just want my father back," Chuck says.

"Good news, bad news Charles, the good news is that your father's too valuable for us to kill, the bad news? The two of you aren't," he says, stepping towards them as Chuck does 'the Morgan'. "Now step away from the-"

They both look up as Bill slips on the broken glass, falling out the window onto the scaffolding.

"What is it with that move?" Bela asks, glancing at Chuck.

"Help!" Bill yells, hanging off the edge. "Help me!"

Chuck climbs out onto the shaky scaffolding, Bela holding onto his legs.

"I cant-Chuck, I can't pull you in!" she yells.

"Pull me up!"

"I'm trying!" Chuck yells. "I'm trying! Please, please tell me where my father is!"

"Or what, you'll drop me?"

"I'd never drop you, that's a horrible thing to do to somebody!"

"Really?" Bill asks.

"Yeah, it's a fifteen story fall, it's an awful way to die!"

"Ah! Pull me up, I'll talk!" Bill yells as he begins to slip.

"Oh thank God," Bela sighs as Jill grabs Chuck's other leg, the two pulling him in.

"Hold on Chuck, we've got you!" Jill yells.

"He's slipping, oh he's slipping!" Chuck yells, grabbing onto Bill's jacket sleeve before it tears, Bill falling from his grip.

"Oh, oh my god," Chuck says, climbing back inside. "Thank you, look we have to get to my dad now."

"Okay, then let's go," Jill says as they follow her. "What happened?"

"Well he attacked us, Chuck did 'the Morgan' and he flew out the window," Bela explains.

"Two kills in two days, Chuck, 'the Morgan' move really is killer," Jill says, unlocking the holding cell.

"Dad!" Chuck yells, making his way inside. "We're too late. I'm never gonna find him, am I?"

"Wait, I overheard them say that they're moving your father to a place... I never heard of, a place called 'Black Rock'," Jill says, the two flashing on the name.

"Oh my god, I know where they're taking him," Bela says, Chuck nodding. "Black Rock is a codename for Protocol Seven, a secret Fulcrum base in Barstow."

"How do you know that?" Jill asks.

"You don't want to know," he says.

"Chuck, can you hear me?" Sarah asks.

"We're on the eighth floor, they've already evacuated my dad," he says.

"Okay, hold tight, we're on our way," she says.

Chuck takes a pair of pliers out of his pocket before kneeling in front of Jill.

"What are you doing?" she asks as he cuts off the tracker on her ankle.

"There was no deal," Bela says.

"I lied to you because at the time I was willing to do whatever it took to find my father," Chuck explains. "But not anymore. You held up your side of the bargain and I'm gonna hold up mine. I told you I wouldn't let them change me, and I won't."

"Thank you," Jill says.

"Look, you should go before they get here," Bela says.

"Okay."

"But Jill, look you're gonna be all alone out there no friends, no money, nothing," Chuck says, taking out the engagement ring. "This is worth a lot, Casey's probably gonna kill me. I always dreamt of giving you a ring, Jill. Just not like this."

"You're sure you can trust them, right?" she asks.

"Go," he says, Bela taking his hand as they watching her leave.

* * *

"How could you let Jill Roberts get away?" Beckman asks.

"I'm sorry General, I took her inside the building because I didn't have a choice," Sarah says.

"So not only do we have no idea where Steve Bartowski is, we have a Fulcrum agent who knows all of our secrets running free. Where are Chuck and Bela now?"

"They're on their way to the Buy More," Sarah says.

"Permission to drop the twerp into a deep dark hole General?" Casey asks.

"Granted," she says.

"Huh?" he asks.

"It's over," she informs them. "The human intersect project has become too hard to control. I can't afford to wonder anymore if this team or Chuck and Bela are liabilities."

"What are you saying, General?" Sarah asks.

"I'm shutting down this project," she says. "Chuck and Bela are going into lock down, they'll be taken to Washington and put into a secure facility once and for all."

"Operation Moron is over," Casey says.

"You're making a mistake, General," Sarah says.

"I have made my decision Agent Walker," she says.

"They're not going to go down without a fight," Sarah says.

"That's why there won't be one," Beckman says.

"What do you mean?"

"They trust you both and believe you would never betray them, use that," she says. "Go to them, tell them that we intercepted Chuck's father while being transported and he's back at castle. Agent Casey will be waiting here. He will tranq them, then he will wait for the extraction team to arrive for their transfer. That is all."

Casey turns, taking out the tranqs and setting them on the table.

"How can you just stand there and say nothing?" Sarah asks, staring at Casey in disbelief.

"Beckman's right, the safest place for them is underground," he says. "What do you think is gonna happen when Fulcrum finds Jill anyway?"

"I thought you loved her," she says. He growls, turning to her.

"Like I said, the safest place for them, for her, is underground."

* * *

"I'm ready," Bela says, meeting Chuck at the Nerd Herd desk. "Are you?"

"Ready," he nods, the two making their way to the exit before seeing Sarah.

"We have good news," Sarah says.

"Can it wait? Computer emergency," Bela says.

"It's about your father," she says. "We found him."

"What? How? Where is he?" he asks.

"One of our recon teams intercepted his transport as Fulcrum was moving him," she explains. "He's back at the castle, he's safe Chuck. It's all over."

Chuck grins, letting out a sigh of relief as Bela rests her head on his shoulder.

"We owe you an apology," he says.

"Why?" Sarah asks.

"We were beginning to think that we couldn't trust you anymore, Sarah," he says. "That maybe Jill was right, that the CIA was never gonna let us go that they would always put their best interests ahead of ours. But not you, you've always looked out for us. Thank you."

Sarah glances behind her before leaning forward, hugging Chuck.

"Take off your watches," she whispers.

"Why?" Bela asks.

"Because it's all a lie, your dad is still out there, Beckman sent me to get you to bring you back to castle," she says. "They're gonna take you underground. We have to run."

They hand her their watches, Sarah dropping them as they follow her into the parking lot.

"Come on," she says, unlocking her car. They quickly climb in, Sarah pulling out onto the highway.

"You're disobeying orders for us?" Chuck asks. "You're committing treason, Sarah, you could go to jail."

"I know," she says.

* * *

A/N: Not that much to change this chapter, but there'll be a fair bit added in the next few ones as we finish the season two ones and start on season three. Next couple of chapters should be in within the next few days. Please review!


	35. Chuck vs The Colonel

A/N: Thanks so much for the reviews on the last chapter! I'm hoping this will be updated regularly but we'll see. For now, it looks like it will be. Please review!

* * *

"According to the coordinates, this should be Black Rock," Bela says as they climb out of their car. "Well, it doesn't exactly look like a Fulcrum compound now does it?"

"Maybe your flash was wrong," Sarah says.

"No, no, no they had to have just moved my father, look at these-these beer cans are fresh, there's still ash on the cigarette butts," Chuck says.

"Could've been kids having a party," she says.

"Great, now we've got to go back and start all over again," he sighs.

"Chuck, we're AWOL it's why we ditched the car," Sarah explains. "Casey finds us, I go to jail, you both go to a padded cell with twenty four hour surveillance. There is no going back."

* * *

"So uh, as you can see just the one bed," Chuck says as the three enter the small motel room. "A little presumptuous I guess, should I have asked for separate rooms?"

"No, it's fine, as long as we're on the LAMB I can't let either of you out of my sight," Sarah says. "I'm gonna take a shower."

"Great," Bela says, staring up at the ceiling.

"Bela I'll give you-"

"Don't worry, my heart is already set on the couch," she deadpans, taking her share of the takeaway and Chuck's mp3 player. "I promise I won't look."

"I love you."

"I know," she smirks, moving to the couch.

* * *

"Oh my god, Chuck! Chuck, what the hell are you-Chuck, get out!" Bela screams, wrapping herself in the shower curtain.

"Not looking, not-wow, that is see-through-"

"Chuck!"

"Not looking, just-uh, just getting... I am gonna kill you Morgan," he growls.

"What're you talking about?" she asks.

"Never mind, just stay in the shower and don't come out until I saw so. Please," he says.

"Whatever, lover boy," she says, laughing as he makes his way out of the bathroom. "Idiot."

She untangles herself from the curtain, reaching for the shampoo before the door opens again.

"Chuck!" she growls.

"Not Chuck, not looking, just uh, just stay in the shower, we have a situation," Sarah says, opening the window.

"Stay in the-situation-what are you talking about!" Bela hisses.

"Just shut up and stay in the shower!" she yells, climbing out the window.

"This is ridiculous," she mutters, tensing as the door opens once again.

"Hi," she smiles, Casey pulling back the curtain, his gun aimed at her. He's distracted momentarily, Sarah taking this opportunity to kick him in the head, knocking him to the ground as she takes his gun.

"Please let me get out of here now," Bela says, watching them drag Casey out. She quickly dresses, joining the others and frowning at Casey chained to the heater.

"Let's go," Sarah says.

"Sorry, Casey," Bela says, leaving with them. They make it to the car, Chuck glancing behind him before flashing on a license plate.

"Oh, oh, Fulcrum is here," he says. "We can't leave Casey, they're gonna find him and torture him."

"No, Chuck don't you get it?" Sarah asks. "If we go back, he's gonna arrest us."

"We can't leave him," Bela says.

"Okay fine, but on one condition, you both stay in the car," Sarah says, climbing out.

"Deal!" Chuck says, glancing back at Bela. "So about... what I saw. In the shower. Twice."

"Shut the hell up," she warns, both of them turning as Casey climbs into the passenger seat.

"Going somewhere?" he asks.

"No, no, we came back here for you! Because Fulcrum's here!" Chuck says.

"Well then, we'd better get out of here," he says.

"We're not leaving without Sarah," Bela says.

"Drive or I end you," he growls.

"End me? Oh yeah how're you gonna do that, you don't have a gun," she says.

"You don't think I can kill you with my thumb or my elbow?" he asks. "Ever been bludgeoned by a radiator?"

"You can't kill me with that radiator, it is far too confined in this car for you to get the appropriate torque," she stammers.

"I'll strangle you with this handcuff chain!"

"Yeah, yeah, you can probably do that," Chuck says, glancing between the two.

"Too late, they've got her," Casey says, looking behind them as Sarah's led away by Fulcrum agents. "Let's go!"

"We told you, we're not leaving without Sarah!" Chuck growls, shifting the car into reverse.

"Bartowski, no!" Casey yells as the car reverses into the agents. "Idiot!"

Sarah takes this opportunity to backhand one of the agents, the others firing at the car.

"Stay down!" Casey yells, using the radiator as a shield from the bullets as he rolls out of the passenger seat.

"Chuck..." Bela says, nervously staring at the man with the gun approaching the car.

"Oh!" Chuck yells as Casey smashes him in the head with the radiator as Sarah kicks the last guy, knocking him out. Casey and her both grab a gun, aiming them at each other.

"Drop it!" Casey yells.

"I can't do that, John," she says.

"Guys, guys, guys, guys!" Chuck yells. "Let's just take a minute here, remember we are a team!"

"Stay in the car!" they both yell.

"Do something!" Chuck hisses, pushing Bela towards them. She glares at him before taking a deep breath.

"Casey!" she cries, grabbing his arm.

"Don't, Bela," he growls, shrugging her off. "There's nothing you can say that's gonna stop this from happening."

"John," she tries again, taking in a shaky breath. "I'm pregnant."

Chuck and Sarah look at each other before turning back to Bela.

"What?" Chuck yells as Casey freezes.

"I didn't want to tell you like this," Bela explains, running a hand through her hair. "But if you're going to kill us all, I just thought that you should know-it's gonna be four lives instead of three-"

"Stop!" he interrupts, shaking his head. "It's-I'm not..."

They both look as Sarah fires her gun, shooting one of the agents who was beginning to move.

"Uh oh, Walker, you're out of ammo," Casey says. "It's over. On the ground."

Sarah drops the gun, Bela glancing between the two.

"Get in the car," he growls, not looking at her as he cuffs her.

"Bells," Chuck says as she climbs in the back.

"Don't," she whispers."Just... shut up."

"Get in," he says after cuffing Chuck and Sarah as well.

They all squeeze into the back seat, Casey refusing to look at them as he pulls out onto the road.

"I'm sorry, Sarah," Chuck says.

"You didn't do anything wrong, you trusted somebody you thought cared about you," Sarah says.

"Obviously not," Bela mutters, staring out the window with Chuck. They both freeze as they see _12amTron_ flash on the drive in sign.

"Tron, Tron, TRON! Did you see that, my father signaled me!" Chuck yells.

"What, did you just flash?" Sarah asks.

"No, but come on a midnight screening of Tron? My father had to have written that!" he yells. "Casey, Casey come on please we've got to go after my father he's there!"

"Casey, please!" Bela yells.

"I don't care," he says.

* * *

"Casey, please!" Bela yells as he locks the three in a holding cell in castle.

"Excellent work," Beckman says.

"Thank you, General," Casey says.

"A CIA team is on their way to take Agent Walker and the assets back to Langley," she informs him.

"General, what about my father?" Chuck asks.

"Chuck received a signal from his father, he believes there may be a mission tonight at the drive in," Sarah adds.

"We'll look into is _Miss_ Walker," she says. "In the meantime, enjoy your last few moments in Burbank _Colonel_ Casey."

"Colonel Casey, huh?" Bela asks. "Now I get it, now I understand why you would betray your own team."

"I'd never betray my team!" he yells. "You went AWOL, _you_ betrayed _me_! Don't you ever forget that."

"So sorry Colonel, but congratulations on that chicken franchise you've always wanted," Chuck says.

"Yeah keep talking, Bartowski," he warns.

"Casey stay on Beckman please, it might be too late by midnight tonight," Sarah says. "Just make sure we don't give up on Chuck's father."

"If your dad's there, we'll keep him safe," he says. "You have my word."

* * *

"For whatever it's worth," Chuck says, sitting down between Sarah and Bela. "If I have to spend the rest of my days in a dark windowless room, I can't think of better people to spend it with."

"It's not really how this works," Sarah says.

"What, we can't request a cozy little two bed, two bath cell?" he jokes. "With an adjoining cell for Bela and the, uh, the baby."

"Yeah," Sarah says, leaning forward. "The baby? Bela-"

They all look up as the lights shut off, the cell door opening.

"Oh my god quick, before the power turns back on," Sarah says, rushing to the door. They make their way out, glancing at the computer screen.

"Is that Awesome?" Chuck asks, the three looking at the surveillance of Casey's apartment.

* * *

"Sarah?" Chuck asks, Bela following him into Casey's apartment. They glance at Casey on the ground.

"Chuck?" Devon asks. "Bela? What the hell is going on here?"

"Devon, don't freak out," he says.

"Chuck, this is crazy, we've got to call the police," Devon says as Sarah ties up Casey.

"Devon, we can't do that," Bela says. "Here, drink this."

"He tried to kill me! Why can't we call the cops?"

"Because we are the cops!"

"Chuck!" Sarah yells.

"Moron," Casey growls.

"Devon, Bela and I are high level CIA assets and these are our handlers," he explains. "For the past two years they've had to watch and protect our every moves."

"Chuck, no!" Sarah warns.

"He can handle it," Bela says before turning to him. "You can handle this right? Tell me you can handle this."

"You're being serious?" he asks before glancing at Sarah. "They're being serious?"

"Devon, we need you to help us," Chuck says. "We need you to be cool about this, and cover for us with Ellie. We need you to be awesome. Can you be awesome?"

"You're spies?" he asks.

"Yeah, more or less, yeah," Bela says, drinking the whiskey she'd poured for him.

"Woah," he says. "Wow. This is... awesome! Yeah! I knew you weren't losers that worked at the Buy More!"

"Losers? That's a little harsh," Bela says.

"Okay here's the thing, the Buy More actually is real but here's the most important thing and I need you to do this for me right now," Chuck says. "I need you to go home and handle Ellie, that is your _mission_. Can you do that?"

"I got your back, bro," he grins, saluting Chuck. "Spies!"

"Keep that on the D-L," Bela says as he leaves.

"Impersonating a military official is a federal offense, numb nuts," Casey says.

"Put it on the list," Chuck says.

"Don't you leave me here," he growls.

"Come on, we've got to go," Sarah says, ushering them towards the door.

"You walk out that door, you're dead," he continues, Bela glancing at him.

"I don't care," she says, following the others.

* * *

"What, no gun for us?" Bela asks as Sarah loads hers once they've pulled up to the drive in.

"Nope, you get to stay in the car," she says.

"Come on the whole stay in the car bit, aren't we passed this? I think we're perfectly capable of handling ourselves on a mission," she says, climbing out before Casey holds a gun to her head.

"You were saying Agent Imbecile?" he asks. "Drop it Walker."

"You drop it," she says.

"Casey!" Chuck yells.

"Sarah, don't," she says. "We've come this far, if he wants to stop us he's gonna have to kill me."

"Beckman called in an air strike it'll be here in less than twenty minutes," he says.

"Casey my father is here, you said you would rescue him you gave me your word," Chuck says, Casey still holding the gun against Bela. "I thought that would've meant something. I guess I have a lot to learn."

"Yeah that's right you do," he says. "You made three crucial mistakes, you didn't realize you were being trailed for the last half hour, you didn't bring nearly enough fire power and you didn't ask me to join."

Casey releases Bela, the two turning to face him.

"Casey, would you like to help us rescue my father?" Chuck asks slowly.

"I think your father has served our country honorably and deserves to attend his daughter's wedding," he says.

"Is that a yes?" Sarah asks.

"One condition, they stay in the car," he says.

"Agreed," she says.

"Done," Chuck says. "Hey, hey the team's back together again, group hug!"

"One more step it'll be your last, no hugs!" Casey says.

"And into the car we go," Bela says, sliding in beside Chuck as the others leave.

"So... can we finally talk about.. the baby?" he asks.

She snorts, shaking her head before noticing all the cars arriving.

"Uh... definitely staying in the car," she says, watching Ted roark address the agents that have arrived.

"Oh my god," Chuck says, glancing at her. "He's using the intersect to build an army."

"We have to stop him," she says, the two climbing out of the Herder.

They make their way to the back of the screen, looking for the projector room.

"Chuck, in here," Bela says, staring at the intersect cube.

"Prodigal son returns," roark says. "Thank you for saving me the trouble of hunting you both down."

"My pleasure," Chuck says.

"Oh, great," he says as his men bring in the others. "The gang's all here. Only fair that a son can see the results of his father's labor. Of course if this doesn't work, I'm afraid I'll have to go back to that bit where I kill everybody."

"What if it does work?" Bela asks.

"If it does work, same result but you know, you should root for it, nobody likes a cinic," roark says. "Let's get right to the countdown, shall we? Five, four, three, two, one!"

"Casey, Sarah, shut your eyes!" Chuck yells. "Keep 'em closed!"

"Chuck, Bela, look, look at the screen," Steven says.

"Dad, we don't want a refresher okay? We just want this nightmare to be over," he says.

"I know, that's why I made this for you," he says. "It's all for you. Trust me."

The two slowly open their eyes, staring at the images on the screen.

They sway for a moment once it's over before falling, Steven catching Chuck as Casey moves to catch Bela.

"I got you," he whispers, holding her close.

"Flash, I gotta flash, Roark says, opening a folder full of images. "I'm not flashing. I'm not flashing, it's not working!"

"There must be some kind of a glitch, I'll have to take it back to the lab," he says.

"No more labs!" he yells. "A deal is a deal! Your son is dead! Get him up."

Casey and Sarah exchange looks as they hear Beckman's air strike approaching.

"What the hell is that?" Roark asks, Sarah punching out one of his men as Casey sets Bela down before doing the same.

"Casey, take Chuck, I've got Bela," Sarah says, Steven grabbing the intersect cube before they leave.

They narrowly make it to the car, pulling away before the drive in is destroyed.

"Guys, are you okay?" Sarah asks, watching as Bela and Chuck sit up.

"I feel-I feel different," Chuck says. "Lighter."

"It worked," Steven says, turning to face them.

"What worked?" Casey growls.

"This," he says, holding the cube. "I programmed it to remove the intersect from their heads."

"What do you mean remove?" Bela asks.

"The intersect is out," he says. "It's over. You're free."

* * *

"Colonel Casey, am I to understand that you rescued Mr Bartowski, recovered the intersect cube, and destroyed Fulcrum's operations base?" Beckman asks.

"That's correct," he says.

"Perhaps I should be promoting you to General," she says.

"Actually, Agent Walker's the one responsible for the success of the mission," he says. "She pretended to go AWOL, used herself and the assets as bait to lure Fulcrum out so we could secure the location. She risked her life to preserve the integrity of the mission. If anyone deserves a commendation, it's Walker."

"Actually, General, I never-"

"Never thought she could be so cold," Chuck interrupts. "We didn't, certainly, she used us as bait like Casey just said, we were treated terribly y'know, I mean she cuffed us we have chaffing on our wrists and we were malnourished... it was-it was... horrific."

"Well then Colonel Casey, now that the intersect project is over, I assume you want to return to command your old unit?" Beckman asks, Bela glancing across at him.

"I'm sorry General, I just want to make sure I didn't misinterpret anything, did you just say... over?" she asks.

"That's correct, we have the intersect cube, Fulcrum is defeated, your mission complete," she explains. "Mr Bartowski, Miss Tiernan, you are free to return to... whatever it is you do."

"General, I'd-I'd just like to say that although I know we've had our share of ups and down, this has been an incredible dare I say life changing... experience," Chuck says before she abruptly ends the transmission. "That apparently you don't feel quite as strongly about, I get it you're busy, Government... it's a little rude."

* * *

"Didn't think you were coming," Bela says as Casey walks over to join her at Ellie and Devon's rehearsal dinner.

"Open bar," he shrugs, glancing down at her. "You look... glowing?"

She laughs, shaking her head.

"You still think?" she asks, gesturing to her stomach. He stares at her confused. "Chuck needed me to stop you, and I did whatever I could. I _said_ whatever I could."

A look of realization flashes across his face before being replaced by disappointment.

"Oh," he nods, turning away.

"Wait," she says slowly, staring up at him. "You were happy about this?"

He shrugs, flicking his eyes down to her stomach before back up to her face.

"A kid wouldn't be the worst thing ever to happen to me," he says, causing her to laugh.

She smiles as he leans over and kisses her.

"See, now you're gonna ruin my chances of picking up at this reception," she frowns. "Awesome's brother's are here, the works."

A smile crosses his face as he wraps an arm around her waist.

"Sorry, sweetheart, but for tonight at least, you're mine," he whispers in her ear.

"That's right, you're leaving," she nods, glancing up at him. "You excited?"

"Of course I'm excited to get out of this hell hole," he says before pressing his lips against hers. "Not that there's not going to be things I'll miss."

"It'll be good," she nods as they part. "For you to get back to a job you love, you get to see your team again, I'm happy for you."

"And you get to go back to... you..."

"Thanks," she smirks, rolling her eyes at him.

"You get to see your father more frequently," he says and she smiles.

"Now that is true," she nods. "That is something to look forward to."

"Just promise me one thing," he says, his hand resting on her thigh.

"Yeah?" she asks.

"No more tattoos," he says, his lips sliding against her shoulder as she laughs.

"We'll see," she grins.

* * *

A/N: Yeah... no pregnant Bela, I couldn't do that to her or Casey. Next is the last chapter of season two, then we have another filler before starting season three! Please review!


	36. Chuck vs The Ring

A/N: The last season two chapter! I've changed this one up a fair bit, and also with Bryce in it there's more Casey/Bela drama. Please review!

* * *

"Hmm, thank you for joining us," Emmett says as Chuck and Bela enter his office.

"Emmett, I've waited a long time for this day, thought of so many ways to say it out loud and how it would finally feel to get if off of my chest," Chuck says.

"Let me stop you Chuck," he laughs. "I am incredibly flattered, but I am a flaming heterosexual."

"What? No-no, I'm out of here, I'm done," he says.

"Leaving is not the answer," Emmett smiles. "I am just touched that you are taking it so hard."

"Emmett, you don't understand!" Bela interrupts. "We quit, no more Buy More, no more you; you can take your flag, and your job and shove it."

"Ditto," Casey says, leaning into the room.

"What do you think you're gonna do for the rest of your life?" Emmett calls after them as they walk away.

"Anything we want," Chuck and Bela say, exchanging smiles.

* * *

"Chuck, Bela, what are your plans for the future?" Beckman asks the pair in castle.

"Well I was gonna get a good champagne buzz going on at my sister's wedding followed by a nice extra long slow dance with my date," Chuck smirks.

"Vocationally speaking?" Bela asks. "Oh, that no, nothing lined up just yet."

"How would you feel about working on the new intersect project?" she asks. "Your government has been rebuilding its own intersect, you both show real promise. We'd like you to be analysts, your country is calling you."

They both exchange bemused looks before turning back to the General.

"Uh, well then I think our country might have the wrong number because we're not heroes," he says.

"Very well, I guess that concludes Project Bartowski-Tiernan," she says. "Colonel Casey, please issue them both their final papers before you and your special forces team ship out to Wizirestan. Agent Walker, I'll need you for just a moment more."

They follow Casey up stairs, waiting as he removes two envelopes from the Orange Orange cash register.

"What exactly is this?" Chuck asks.

"It's your pay packets, numb nuts," he says.

"Woah!" Bela says, the two staring at their cheques.

"Yeah you know, if you were true patriots you wouldn't even cash them," he says.

"Casey," Chuck says. "Thank you, for saving our lives at least once a week."

"Hmm," he nods, shaking his hand before Chuck pulls him into an embrace.

"See, guys can hug," Chuck says.

"Not if they don't have their man parts."

"It's a good point," Bela says as the two part.

"You've both done good work here," he says.

"Thank you," Chuck says before he hands them both a business card.

"In case of emergencies, my personal number," he informs them. "But uh, your fingers better be on fire when you're dialing."

"Let's go get ready for the wedding," Bela smiles, glancing back at Casey as they leave.

* * *

"Coming!" Bela yells, hesitating to grab something to throw on before rushing to the door. "Thank God it's just you."

Casey's eyebrows shoot up as she stands in the doorway in just her underwear.

"And if it wasn't?" he asks as she pulls him in, quickly locking the door.

"That would be embarrassing, wouldn't it," she smirks.

"I'm leaving today," he says, picking her up in his arms.

"Goodbye sex?" she asks as he carries her into the bedroom, tossing her roughly onto the bed.

"Read my mind," he growls, his clothes falling to the floor with her underwear soon joining them.

"You have a special forces team?" she gasps as he slides into her.

"Yeah," he says, moving against her.

"Just what you wanted, to be back with them," she says, smiling up at him before moaning.

He nods, smiling back as he stares down at her.

"So the apartment is yours, if you want it," he grunts.

"O-okay," she whimpers.

She cries out as she grips his arms, quickly biting her lips as he finishes.

"Bela!" he yells, surprising her by calling out her name. He collapses on top of her before rolling over, pulling her against him.

"That I'm gonna miss," he says, causing her to laugh.

"You and me both," she grins.

"It's been a pleasure working with you," he says, kissing her soundly before standing up.

"You, too," she says, smiling at him as he dresses.

"Don't you got a wedding to get to?" he asks, smirking at her.

She sighs, stretching out on the bed before frowning as she hears a familiar click.

"Son of a bitch," she growls, quickly pulling the sheets up as he stares at his phone.

"Thanks for that, sweetheart," he grins, shoving the phone into his pocket before pulling his shirt on.

"Hope you enjoy it," she teases, sitting up as he walks over to her.

"I have to go," he says, staring down at her.

"I know," she nods, closing her eyes as he kisses her.

"You've got my number, doesn't always have to be an emergency-don't tell Bartowski that."

She nods, smiling as he waves his hand as he walks out the door.

* * *

"Hey, you look great," Chuck says, joining Bela at the altar as he looks behind her. "Where's Casey?"

"Gone," she says, looking away for a second before turning back to him.

"You let him leave?" he asks, staring at her. She shrugs, hiding her discomfort.

"He didn't want to stay," she says, smiling up at him. "And I wasn't going to make him."

Chuck rests his hand on her back before nodding.

"Let's go see Ellie?" he asks.

She nods, following down the hallway where he pauses, knocking on the door to the bridal suite.

"Hi, can I talk to my sister it will only take a second-"

"Oh no, Chuck it's bad luck to see the bride-" Mrs. Woodcomb starts before Ellie calls out.

"It's fine, I don't believe in that stuff!"

"Alright, just get in," she sighs before spotting Bela behind him. "You! You're late!"

"Sorry?" she says, sending Chuck a panicked look as she's pushed over to the other bridesmaids.

"One, two, three-where the hell is my blond?" she yells, Chuck and Ellie glancing over as Bela joins the two.

"She is a scary woman."

"Anyway, uh, I don't know exactly yet what I'm gonna get you for your wedding present, but I'll start with this-I quit the Buy More today," Chuck says, glancing at Bela. "We both did."

"What?" Ellie asks, spinning around to face them.

"The Buy More is no more," Bela smirks.

"Guys, that is incredible!" Ellie grins. "What are you gonna do with your future?"

"You, back over here!" Mrs. Woodcomb says, pulling Bela back to the other bridesmaids as Sarah walks in. "There she is."

"I thought you'd be late," Sarah says as she stands next to Bela.

"Huh?" she asks, confused before realization hits her. "Oh, no Casey left."

"Without saying anything?" she frowns.

"We said what we had to," Bela says, a small smile playing at her lips.

"Sarah, can we talk for a moment?" Chuck asks, joining them.

She hands Bela her bouquet before following him.

"Bela," Ellie says, turning to her. "Did John come with you?"

She bites her lip as she sets the flowers down, walking over to the other woman.

"Casey-John and I, we broke up," Bela says, frowning as her voice shakes. "He had to leave town and we decided to end things."

"Bela, I'm sorry," Ellie says, pulling her into a hug. "You two were so happy together."

"I'm fine-this is your day, Ellie! You must be so excited!" Bela says, smiling.

"I am," Ellie says, releasing a breath. "I can't wait to finally be married to Devon!"

"You don't have long to wait, now," she smiles, Sarah entering the room again.

"Bela," Sarah says as she walks over. "You need to go talk to Chuck."

"What-why?" she asks, frowning.

"I think-I upset him, I wanted to wait and tell him but-"

"Tell him what?" she asks slowly.

"I'm leaving in the morning," she says. "The details are classified but I'm working on the new intersect project, with Bryce."

"Bryce?" Bela asks. "He's back?"

"Please talk to Chuck, before the ceremony," Sarah pleads. "Bela, do this for him, please."

"Sure, no problem," she nods, standing up.

"I didn't know, until today," Sarah says, Bela pausing in the doorway.

"I'll be back soon, cover for me," she says, quickly closing the door before making her way down the hallway. Not seeing Chuck anywhere, she walks down the aisle, moving into the dining area.

"Getting that buzz going early?" she asks, sitting herself down next to him. She takes the bottle from him, wincing at the taste.

"Thought you didn't like wine?" he asks as she takes another sip.

"I don't," she says, handing the bottle back.

"Don't start drinking again now that Casey's gone," Chuck frowns.

"Don't you go back to the Buy More if Sarah leaves," she says, turning to him.

"Ha, she told you," he says. "She tell you Bryce is back, too?"

"She did," she nods. "She didn't want to hurt you, Chuck."

"Bela, please don't make excuses for her," he sighs, taking a sip. She frowns, the two exchanging glances as they hear two thuds from the floor.

"Oh, oh my God," Bela says as they see the two dead bodies under the table, both sitting back up quickly.

"I believe we've met before," Rourk says, taking a seat opposite them.

"Ted Rourk," Chuck says.

"No, I'm Ted Rourk," he laughs. "You two are the CIA agents who are in deep trouble. By the way, congratulations on your sister's happy day; her gown is gorgeous, full bodice, love the beading."

"What the hell do you want?" Chuck growls.

"Ooh, there's no need to curse!" Rourk says. "You know damn well what I want; I want the intersect cube."

"We can't touch-we can't give you that," Bela says, Chuck nodding.

"Oh, you'll find a way I'm sure," he says, standing up. "Oh, sorry, I forgot the threat part; if you don't deliver that cube within a half hour, forty minutes tops-with traffic, I'm gonna kill the bride."

* * *

"Come on!" Chuck yells, waiting for Bela as she struggles down the stairs in her dress and heels.

"Easy for you to say," she growls, quickly reaching the bottom before following him to where the intersect cube was stored.

"It's gone," Bryce says, both turning away from the empty compartment.

"Bryce?" Bela asks.

"The new intersect," he says.

"Where-where-where is it?" Chuck yells, running over to him.

"Chuck, you know I can't tell you that it's top secret not even Beckman-" Bryce starts before Bela stalks over to him as well.

"No, we need it Bryce we need it Chuck's family is in danger," she explains. "Ted Rourk and his Fulcrum team are at the wedding and he's going to kill Ellie unless we bring him the cube."

He stares at her before turning.

"Rourk can't have it."

"No, he'll murder everyone!" Chuck yells.

"No, you're gonna give them me," Bryce says, turning back to them as he grabs a gun.

"They think you're the intersect," Bela whispers.

"They've been looking for me all along; the cube can't fall into the wrong hands I made a promise to Orion."

"You know," Chuck whispers.

"That was the deal," Bryce says. "Your dad knew I protected the both of you at Stanford, I was the only spy he could trust."

"I can't believe you've known this whole time," Chuck says, Bela staring at Bryce.

"He wanted to keep you out of this," Bryce explains. "But I knew you could handle the intersect, I knew Sarah would find you, and most importantly you deserve to know the truth about your father- he's a hero."

"But you, Bells, as always you are an added bonus," he smirks, handing her a gun before turning to Chuck. "Now let's go get your sister married."

* * *

"I can't believe you're doing this," Bela whispers to Bryce as Chuck bursts into the dining area.

"I owe Chuck this," he says, watching her as she makes sure the gun is on safety before holstering it to her thigh.

"What?" she laughs, noticing his gaze.

"You have no idea how incredibly hot you look right now," he whispers.

"Definitely not the time or place to be telling me this," she hisses as she pulls her dress back down, hiding the weapon.

"Just let me know the time and place Bells and I'm there," he grins before nodding. "That's our cue."

The two enter the room, hands raised as they slowly make their way over to Chuck.

"Mr Larkin," Rourk says. "The human intersect."

"Rourk, you want me," he says. "Now let Chuck and his people go, we leave they stay nobody else needs to know."

"Terrific plan," Rourk says. "Thing is Fulcrum want Chuck and Isabela here dead no matter what, so with that said shoot Mr Bartowski and Miss Tiernan."

"Sarah, take it!" Bryce yells, Sarah throwing knives at the armed men as Bryce pulls Bela and Chuck to the floor.

"What are you doing?" Chuck asks, Bela unstrapping the gun from her leg and immediately taking it off of safety.

"All that time spent with Casey wasn't just sex," she smirks, Chuck and Bryce exchanging disgusted looks at this.

"Oh God, not the flowers!" Chuck groans, Bela muttering an apology as both Bryce and her continue to shoot at the agents.

"Bryce," Bela says, staring down at her gun. He looks at her before nodding, turning to Sarah.

"I'm dry, anymore knives?" he asks.

"Nope, threw all eight," she says.

"Get up," Rourk says, the agents still standing holding their guns on them. Bryce helps Bela up as Sarah moves next to Chuck.

"Oh God," Chuck says, looking around at the mess. "Someone just shoot me now."

"I can help you with that, Chuck," Rourk says, taking a gun from one of his men. "A real shotgun wedding, just think that terrible pun is the last thing you'll ever hear."

"Oh my God!" Bela yells, Bryce wrapping an arm around her waist as Casey and his men crash through the skylight.

The four hide behind one of the tables as Rourk's men are taken down.

"All clear, sir," one of the men says as they slowly stand up.

"You rang," Casey shrugs, noticing Chuck's horrified expression.

"The wedding!" Bela says, ignoring the two men staring at her as she leaves with Sarah and Chuck.

"Chuck!" Ellie says, staring at the three as Bela and Sarah adjust their torn dresses. "What happened?"

"Everything's alright, Ellie there was just a minor centerpiece problem," Chuck explains.

"It's fine now, all fixed," Bela adds, everyone looking up as the fire alarms sound.

"Oh no," Chuck says, the sprinklers being activated and spraying down on them.

"Wedding canceled," Ellie cries, wiping the water from her brow.

Chuck and Sarah follow her out as Bela hesitates, turning back to the dining area.

"Hey!" Casey yells, both Bryce and him jogging over as they see her. "You okay?"

"Great," she says, nodding. "Ellie's wedding is canceled."

"Could've been a lot worse," Bryce says, resting a hand on her shoulder.

She nods, Casey tensing as she unstraps the holster from her thigh before handing it to Bryce.

"You were shooting, too?" he asks slowly, Bryce glancing between the two.

"Yeah, just like you taught me," she smiles before Casey's men walk over with Rourk.

"Where are we taking him?" one asks.

"Follow me," Casey growls as he turns to the men, leaving Bela and Bryce alone.

"Can I drive you somewhere?" he asks, the two still standing under the sprinklers. She stares up at him before nodding and he takes her hand, pulling her out the back of the church.

"Can't let Chuck's family see me-I'm dead to them after all," he says as they climb into a four wheel drive out the back.

"Right," she says as he pulls out.

"Got a question for you, Bells," he says, glancing across at her. "Why didn't you accept the analyst position Beckman offered?"

"I...I..." she says before pausing for a moment, thinking over her answer.

"You didn't because Chuck didn't," he nods.

"Chuck's always been smarter than me," she explains, putting her hand up as Bryce goes to interrupt. "And I can't see myself doing something that big on my own."

"Wouldn't be on your own, Bells," Bryce smirks. "You'd be working with me."

"Beckman didn't mention that," she says slowly, turning to him.

"Changing your mind over there, sweetheart?" he asks, grinning as she nods. "I'll let Beckman know."

"I need to see what's happening, with the wedding," she says as he pulls up outside Chuck's.

"I'll be waiting," he smiles, taking his phone out as she climbs out of the vehicle.

"I'll be right back," she nods, running into the courtyard.

"Bela!" Sarah says, meeting her at the fountain.

"Hi, hey what's going on?" she asks.

"The wedding is back on," Sarah explains. "Chuck's organizing the whole thing, it's happening today."

"What, how?" she asks confused.

"His pay packet," Sarah smiles.

"His what-what? Does he have enough, I can-"

"It's fine," Sarah smiles before pausing. "How, uh, how did you get here? Chuck didn't know where you went."

"Bryce gave me a ride," she explains. "I need to talk to you about that, actually."

"I need to talk to Bryce about something, too," Sarah says before motioning for Bela to continue.

"The analyst job that Beckman offered earlier, I'm taking it," she says. "Bryce is letting her know now, and I'm leaving with him in the morning-well, both of you I guess."

"No," Sarah says, causing Bela to frown. "Sorry, no I mean that it will just be Bryce and you, leaving."

"What do you mean?" she asks, a smile playing at her lips. "You're staying with Chuck?"

"I'm staying with Chuck," Sarah smiles. "He uh, he doesn't know yet though."

"You should tell him," Bela says. "Sooner rather than later, but I'd prefer if you waited until I tell him I'm leaving first, then he gets some good news from you at least."

"I'll wait," she nods, smiling.

* * *

"Bells," Chuck says as Morgan joins Anna across the courtyard.

"The wedding was amazing," she says, smiling up at him.

"I think Ellie's forgiven me," he nods, watching her face carefully. "You okay?"

"Chuck," she says, moving towards him. "We need to talk."

"Okay," he says slowly. "You've got your serious voice on."

"I'm leaving."

"Sarah's leaving..." he says.

"No," she says, shaking her head. "_I'm_ leaving, with Bryce."

"What?" he yells, causing people to turn and look at them. He takes her arm, pulling her around to the front of the courtyard. "You're leaving?"

"Tonight," she says, nodding. "I accepted the analyst job; I'm gonna help him with the new intersect."

"You doing this for him, or for yourself?" he asks, frowning.

"A bit of both, mainly for me," she says, smiling. "I've got no job here Chuck, and Casey's not sticking around either so why not start fresh?"

"It's not that fresh," he teases. "It's the intersect, and it's Bryce-neither of those things are fresh."

"Oh how I'll miss your humor," she grins before he pulls her into a hug.

"I'm gonna miss you, Isabela," he says, causing her to smile.

"I'm gonna miss you too, Charles," she says, grinning as he screws his face up at the use of his full name. "I'll call you as soon as I can."

He nods, kissing her on the cheek before joining Sarah.

"You ready?" Bryce asks, resting a hand on her back as she watches the two.

"Yeah," she nods.

"Mr Bartowski," he says as Chuck's dad joins them. "Or is this an Orion conversation."

"Bit of both," he says, smiling at Bela. "I'll reconfigure the cube for you under two conditions; you stop looking for me and you leave my son alone."

"We asked Chuck to be on my team, he said no."

"But I can't promise you the same," Bela says, Bryce wrapping his arm around her waist. "I can't lose all contact with him."

"You're fine, Bela, I'm expecting you to keep in contact with him."

"Goodbye, Orion," Bryce says before he grabs his arm.

"They made changes to the intersect, to my initial designs," he explains. "The data architecture is different, what does this new computer do?"

"You don't want to know," Bryce whispers, Bela staring up at him confused.

"Agent Larkin, it's time to go," a man says, joining them.

"Come on," Bryce says to Bela as they follow.

* * *

"Hey, I'm coming with you," Chuck says as Sarah and Casey join him.

"No you stay here, it's not your mission," Casey growls.

"Wait, this is the intersect we're talking about and I'm a Bartowski," he says, showing him the computer strapped to his arm. "You need me."

"Fine," Casey growls before looking around. "Oh, tell me she's waiting in the car."

"Possibly," Chuck says as Sarah turns to him. "What? He didn't say _our_ car."

"She's with Bryce," Sarah says, Casey muttering as he moves past them. "She accepted the analyst job!"

"Yeah, with him," he growls. "And look where that bastards got her, they've been gone less than an hour and already he's getting her killed."

* * *

"I can't believe you came with me, Bells," Bryce smiles, resting a hand on her back as they walk down the hallway.

"I said I would," she says, smiling back.

"She's amazing, right?" he asks the agent with them. He glances at them before nodding.

"Yes, sir."

"Stop it," Bela smirks, blushing lightly as he keys in the numbers to unlock the intersect room.

"It's just a good day to be me," Bryce grins, leaning down towards her.

"You have no idea," the agent says, pulling out a gun. The two immediately separate, Bela staring wide eyed at the agent.

"Mr. Larkin," Casey's former team member says, smiling at the two. "You brought a date."

Bryce glares at the man before pushing Bela into the room, grabbing the agent's arm and shooting at them before following her as the doors close.

"Bryce!" Bela yells as he falls to his knees.

"Oh my god," she says, quickly moving to his side. "Oh my god, you've been shot."

"Yeah," he hisses. "I'm really sorry about this, Bells."

"No, no it's okay, it's okay you're gonna be fine it's not that bad," she says, lifting up his shirt and inspecting the wound. She frowns as the bleeding steadily continues, helping him slide his jacket off before using it to apply pressure to the injury.

"Got blood on your dress," he hisses, nodding at the red soaking through the fabric. "Sorry."

"It's fine, Bryce, it's just a dress," she mutters, rolling her eyes. They both look up as Chuck falls through the vent.

"Hello, Chuck," Bryce says.

"Hey, guys," Chuck says, getting to his feet. "Casey and Sarah are pinned down outside."

"I'm on it," he says, trying to stand before wincing as he doubles over in pain.

"No!" Bela yells, pulling him back down. "You idiot!"

"You're shot," Chuck says, quickly running his eyes over Bela and freezing at the sight of blood on her dress. "Bells..."

"I'm fine," she says, glancing up at him. "I'm okay, Chuck."

"Take care of her," Bryce says, staring up at Chuck as he kneels next to them.

"Don't say that, you are not dying," Bela growls, pulling his attention back to her as she continues to press her hands against his wound.

"She needs you man, okay?" Chuck adds. "You guys are gonna go on missions together and do exciting things and save the world and you'll be together again, it'll be great."

"Yeah," he smiles before wincing again.

"Hold on, hold on," Chuck says before Bryce pulls something out of his pocket, handing it to him.

"This will destroy the intersect," he explains. "This new computer's too powerful, it's too dangerous."

"But you need-you need the computer to fight Fulcrum," Bela says.

"Fulcrum doesn't matter, I think they're just one part of the ring," he gasps. "They'll use it against us. You have to do this. You have to destroy that computer and then get out of here."

"But you can beat them," Bela says, blinking back her tears. "You can-you-"

"Love you, Bells," he whispers before his head falls to the side.

"No-Bryce, no!" she yells, slapping his face gently before checking his pulse. "Bryce!"

"Oh my god," Chuck whispers before staring down at the chip in his hand.

He quickly stands up, rushing over to the computer in the center of the room as Bela sits blankly next to Bryce.

"Bells-Bela!" he says, getting her attention. He chews his lip before rushing back over to her and pulling her up. "Come on."

"What?" she asks as he stares at her tear soaked face. "Chuck, what?"

"The intersect," he says, nodding to the computer. "I-I'm putting it back in."

She opens her mouth to say something before stopping herself.

"Not by yourself," she whispers, shaking her head.

"Are you sure?" he asks, making sure her eyes meet his before she nods. "Then let's do this."

He presses his hand against the screen, activating the intersect before grabbing Bela's hand in his.

She glances up at him, giving him a half smile before they turn their attention to the hundreds of screens before their eyes as the images load up.

His hand grips hers tighter as they stare at the screens, the images once again flashing across their eyes before finishing as abruptly as they'd started leaving the two hunched over the computer.

"You okay?" he asks, helping her up.

"Yeah," she nods. "You?"

"Great," he sighs, picking the disc up before sliding it into the computer.

They watch as the intersect is destroyed, Chuck smiling down at Bela before the door slides open and Casey's former special forces team mate walks in.

"What did you do?" he asks, pointing his gun at them. "What did you do?"

"We destroyed it," Chuck says. "You're too late."

"For that, you two will die last," he growls, moving to the computer as Casey and Sarah are pushed in by five other agents.

"Bela," they both say as they stare at the blood covering her hands and dress before they notice Bryce.

"Bryce?" Sarah asks slowly, glancing over at Bela again.

"Bryce!" Bela screams as one of the agents kneels over him before dragging him out of the room. "No! Don't you touch him!"

Casey goes to pull her to him but they shove him back, pushing her beside Chuck who immediately wraps an arm around her.

"There's nothing left!" the man at the computer says.

"So you lose," Casey says, causing him to move around to stand in front of him.

"You should know this," he says. "No one stops us, no one ever has."

"Who are you?" Sarah asks.

"Spies, Agent Walker," he says as he raises his gun. "The best."

Bela and Chuck stare at him before flashing, one of the agents noticing.

"Sir, you should look at this," he says.

"Guys, did you just flash?" Sarah asks, Casey now staring at the two with interest.

"They uploaded it."

"Ohh chuck me," Casey sighs.

"Kill them," the man orders, Chuck and Bela quickly knocking the weapons out of the agents' hands before back flipping away from them.

"What...?" Bela asks slowly as they glance at each other. They both look down at their hands before continuing to fight the agents, not stopping until they were all unconscious.

"Uhh..." Casey says, speechless as he glances around the room. "Bela?"

"Chuck?" Sarah asks, also speechless.

"Guys..." they say in unison. "We know kung fu."

* * *

A/N: So Bryce is dead and Chuck and Bela have fancy new intersects in their brains. Next chapter will be a fill in before I start the season three ones. Please review!


	37. Chuck vs Las Vegas

A/N: Another fill in chapter between seasons, this one involving Bela dealing with Bryce's death and Casey helping her before her spy training begins. Please review!

* * *

"Has she said anything?" Sarah asks, climbing in the front next to Casey before glancing in the backseat at Bela and Chuck. Her blood on her hands had dried, and she twisted them together as she stared blankly at her knees.

"Nothing," Chuck sighs, Casey glancing in the mirror at the two.

"She fought okay," he shrugs, turning back to the road. "Why's she like this now?"

"Casey," Sarah frowns, shaking her head at him.

"Stop talking about her as if she's not sitting right here!" Chuck yells, glaring at the two. "Just shut up!"

Casey opens his mouth ready to respond but hesitates, glancing in the mirror again.

* * *

"Here, we're home," Casey says, opening the door before helping her inside. He flicks the lights on before moving back to her side.

She growls as he wraps an arm around her, catching him off guard as she pushes him back outside.

"Leave me alone!" she yells, slamming the door in his face. He growls, storming in.

"Bela!" he yells, catching her wrist as she swings at him.

"Leave me alone, Casey!" she screams, the tears breaking free and sliding down her cheeks. "Please just leave me alone."

"I'm not leaving you alone, not while you're like this," he warns, pulling her hands flat against his chest. "I'm not leaving you."

"I want Chuck," she says, refusing to look at him. "I want Chuck to stay with me."

He sighs, releasing her before opening the door.

"How is she?" Chuck asks, both Sarah and him looking up as he exits the apartment.

"She wants you," he growls, walking past them.

Chuck stares after him confused before turning to Sarah.

"It's okay, go," she says. "Take care of her, she needs you."

"Thanks," he says before jogging inside.

He frowns when he enters, locking the door as he kicks his shoes off.

"Bela?" he calls, listening for a response. He continues into the apartment, cursing as he hears running water.

"Hey!" he yells, seeing her lying on the shower floor, her dress sticking to her as the water cascaded down over her. "Bells."

He sighs, pulling off his jacket before joining her, sitting down and pulling her against him.

"No!" she yells, struggling against him before opening her eyes and meeting his concerned ones. "Chuck?"

"I'm here," he whispers as she falls against him, his arms holding her close. "It's okay Bells, I'm here."

He kisses her soaked hair, her sobs shaking her whole body as he slides his hand up and down her back.

"I want Bryce," she cries, her voice breaking as she says his name.

"I know," he says. "I know you do, Bells."

* * *

"Thanks for coming," Chuck says, opening the door for Sarah. "And it's not what you think."

She sighs, her eyes lingering on the towel he was wearing before passing him, setting his clothes down on the counter.

"When I got here, she was in a heap on the shower floor," he explains. "I got in with her-we were both fully clothed-and I just held her until she stopped crying and then I called you when we got out. I-I-I need another favor, though. She's still dripping wet, I didn't want to-we're best friends but we've never-I've never-"

She takes it all in before nodding.

"I'll dress her," she says, resting her hand on his arm. "_You_ get dressed and I'll be back."

"Thank you," he nods, watching as she walks up the hallway before turning to his clothes on the counter.

"Oh man, she went through my underwear drawer," he frowns, staring at the pair in his hands. They were pink, a casualty of being washed with Ellie's red sweater.

* * *

"Everything okay?" Chuck asks as Sarah joins him.

"She's dry and sleeping," she nods before frowning at her now wet attire. "Which is more than I can say for me."

"I'm sure she won't mind if you borrow some clothes," he smiles before pausing at her confused look. "What?"

"She was never this bad last time," Sarah frowns, Chuck joining her in the kitchen. "Last time she found out he 'died', she took it fine."

"I know," he says, resting his hand on her back. "But this time he's really dead, and he died in her arms. It's different."

"Yeah," she nods. "I forgot about that part."

"How are you taking it?" Chuck asks, pulling her closer. "You okay?"

"I'm good," she nods, smiling up at him. "This time I have someone who I care about much more with me."

"Really," he says, a smile breaking free.

"Really," she beams. "Oh, and I have a question..."

"Pink underwear?" he asks one step ahead. She laughs, nodding. "Laundry incident, I blame Ellie; that's why Devon does the laundry now."

"I didn't think it would have been an item you willingly purchased, well I hoped not at least," she teases.

"So, this training..." he says, the smile disappearing from her face. "What's the matter?"

"If you do this, if you go you're gonna be a spy for the rest of your life, every city it's gonna be a new mission, a new identity, and you're not gonna be the same person," she says.

"Yeah, that's a great thing," he says.

"Chuck, listen, we could..." she starts.

"We could what?" he asks.

"Company," she coughs, nodding behind them. Chuck turns, quickly straightening up at the sight of Bela standing in the doorway.

"Hey, Bells, we were just-"

"Can you get Casey?" she croaks, her voice still weak.

"Are you sure?" Sarah asks and she nods. "Okay, I'll call him."

Chuck stands up as Sarah takes her phone out, moving over to Bela.

"How are you feeling?" he asks, taking in her appearance. She looked absolutely exhausted.

She shakes her head, running a hand through her tangled hair.

"He's on his way," Sarah says, joining the two.

"Thank you," Bela nods, moving past them into the kitchen.

Chuck wraps an arm around Sarah as they watch her open the refrigerator, carefully kneeling in front of it.

She reaches out a shaking hand, her fingers resting lightly on a beer.

"No," a voice says from behind her, and her hand retracts as she lets out a breath.

She gets to her feet, closing the door before turning and wrapping her arms around him.

"Casey," she whispers, clutching at his shirt as she inhales his scent.

He kisses the top of her head, the two ignoring Chuck and Sarah's exit as he pulls her closer.

"I'm sorry," she says, her voice breaking as he feels his shirt beginning to moisten.

"It's okay," he whispers into her hair. She pulls back, and the look in her eyes nearly breaks his heart.

"I don't know what to do," she says. "Tell me what to do, Casey."

"I can't do that, sweetheart," he whispers and her face crumples again, the tears streaming freely down her cheeks.

"Don't leave me," she whispers, her eyes locking onto his. "I can't lose you, too, Casey."

"I'm not going anywhere," he says, pulling her against him.

* * *

"I think you should just shoot me now," Bela groans, squinting at the intruding light shining through the ridiculously thin curtains. "End my suffering."

"You've driven me to drink more than I ever have in my life," Casey mumbles into her hair. "So you can shoot me first, then yourself."

She looks up at him, his chest her makeshift pillow.

"You didn't think I could drink you under the table if I remember correctly," she teases, smiling at their entwined legs under the sheet. "And who proved you wrong?"

"We drank the exact same amount if _I_ remember correctly," he says.

"Perhaps," she whispers. "But you didn't win."

"Neither did you," he mumbles.

She smiles, bringing her hand up as she brushes her hair out of her face.

"Oh, no," she whispers, staring wide eyed at the ring on her finger. "No, no, no, no, _no!_"

"What are you yammering on about, now?" he mutters, pulling her closer.

"Casey-Casey, wake up!" she says urgently. "You need to wake up _now_."

His eyes open quickly and he instinctively reaches for where his gun was usually kept-of course it wasn't there.

"What-what's wrong?" he asks, sitting up next to her.

She holds out her shaking hand, his eyes focusing on the band on her finger.

"What-why are you..." he asks slowly. "Did we?"

The two make eye contact as the night before flashes through their minds.

* * *

"This is rubbish," Bela says, staring at the machine. "It's-it's ridiculous how people waste their money on it."

"Gambling, sweetheart," Casey shrugs, watching her. "It's addictive."

"Yeah, well not for me," she mutters, standing up annoyed.

He chuckles, resting a hand on her waist.

"You're the one that wanted to come to Vegas," he says, leading her away from the machine.

"After the six weeks of hell we've been through, I think we've earned it," she says, referring to the aftermath of Bryce's death. Sarah had gone with Chuck for his spy training, Bela needing more time before she left with Casey.

"Do you want a drink?"

"You're gonna let me?" she asks, teasing.

"Look at where we are, as if there'd be any stopping you."

"Ha, ha," she deadpans and he leads her to the bar.

"You can't exactly hold your liquor," he says and she snorts.

"And when have you ever seen me drunk?" she asks, raising an eyebrow. He thinks for a moment before frowning.

"Then game on," she smirks, ordering two shots.

* * *

"Now this is more my style," she laughs, struggling to slide some coins into the toy machine.

"Thought you didn't like gambling?" he asks, his arms around her as she presses the buttons on the machine, guiding the claw to the corner.

"This is more fun than gambling," she shrugs, cursing as it comes up empty. "Dammit!"

"Looks like you're having a great time," he teases and she sighs, resting her head against the glass.

"Here," he says, moving across to another machine. He slides some coins in the slot, twisting the knob until a small container slides out. "See, on these you always win."

She pretends to be disinterested, sliding more coins into the claw game as she ignores him.

"Shiney," he says, staring at the prize. It was a small ring, and he raises an eyebrow as it lights up when the jewel on top was pressed down.

She watches him out of the corner of her eye, gasping as a small stuffed animal is picked up in the claw and dropped into the release shoot.

"Casey!" she yells, her hand banging against the glass. "Casey, look!"

He chuckles at her enthusiasm, shaking his head as she clutches the toy.

"You are drunk," he says, pulling her to him. She smiles up at him lazily, glancing down at the ring in his hand.

"Casey," she whispers, her eyes wide as he slides the ring onto her finger. He pauses, realising his actions before clearing his throat.

"Oh, it flashes," she laughs, staring down at it.

He laughs at her, wrapping an arm around her waist as they move outside.

"Can you remember where the hotel is?" she asks, resting her head on his shoulder. He nods, the two making their way down the street.

He pauses for a moment, kissing her on the cheek.

"How drunk are you?" he asks, the two staring up at the flashing lights on the building.

"As drunk as you," she grins as he takes her hand, the two walking inside.

"Hi," an overly cheerful woman greets them as they enter the chapel.

Bela grins up at Casey, the two managing to repeat the vowels with little difficulty in their intoxicated state.

"I do," he says, sliding the ring onto her finger once again.

"I do," she smiles.

"I now pronounce you husband and wife," the woman says. "You may kiss the bride."

Bela smiles up at him, both of his hands still resting securely on her hips.

"I love you," she says and he pulls her ever closer to him, crushing his lips against hers.

"We have another ceremony," the celebrant says, clearing her throat loudly.

"Okay, okay," Bela says as they pull apart, Casey quickly taking her hand again. "We're going."

He pulls her outside, the two stumbling across the road before he glances around.

"Are we lost?" she frowns, staring up at him with wide eyes. He leans down and kisses her before shaking his head.

"It's not far," he says as they continue down the street.

"I hope not," she says, glancing up at him. "Your _wife_ wants to start her wedding night."

A smile spreads across his face and his pace quickens, his arm now snaking around her waist and pulling her closer.

"I like how you think," he says, nodding for her to enter the hotel first before following.

His hands pull her closer again as they wait for the lift, both sighing in relief as the doors open.

"What floor?" she asks, his lips sliding across her collar bone. "What floor are we on?"

She laughs as he spins her around to face him, his hand reaching behind her and pressing a button causing the doors to slide shut.

He pulls her up against him, her hands flat against the cold metal of the lift.

"Casey," she sighs as he kisses down her neck, the two quickly parting as the doors open with a ping.

He walks ahead of her, fumbling around in his pocket for their room key.

"Wait!" she cries, grabbing his arm. He stares at her confused. "You have to carry me through the doorway, it's what people do after getting married."

He chuckles, unlocking the room before throwing the key inside.

"John!" she yelps as her feet disappear from beneath her. She wraps her arms around his neck as he carries her into the room, kicking the door shut behind them.

"Isabela Casey," he says and she laughs, moving to wrap her legs around his waist.

"Is John Casey even your real name?" she hisses as he slams her against the door.

"Does it matter?" he growls.

"'Course not," she smirks, watching as he kicks his shoes off, his pants joining them.

She gasps as his hands slide up under her dress, his thumbs looping in her underwear before pulling them to the side.

"John!" she cries, her hands clutching fistfulls of his shirt as he quickly slides into her, her back crashing against the door again. "John!"

"Not calling me Casey tonight?" he smirks.

"I think I'll be calling you lots of things tonight-ahh!" she screams.

She bites her lip, throwing her head back as he thrusts into her once more.

"John!" she screams, her muscles tensing as they both find their release. She feels his head rest against her, her fingers combing through his hair as he sets her down.

His hands move around her, pulling down the zip at the back of her dress before helping her out of it. She silently moves forward, pushing him back on the bed before climbing on top of him.

"You're very willing tonight," she teases, unbuttoning his shirt. He chuckles, his hands catching her wrists before he flips her onto her back, reversing their positions.

He moves slower this time, gently kicking her legs apart before moving against her.

She moans, pulling him down to her and capturing his lips.

He pulls back, his lips sliding across her cheek before finding her earlobe, his teeth teasing the skin and causing her to shiver against him.

They say nothing, taking their time being with each other.

Her hands slide down over the muscles of his back, her fingers caressing his spine as he moves against her.

He bends his head down to her again, his lips covering hers as they finish.

He moves again, rolling over and pulling her on top of him, her head resting against his chest as she closes her eyes.

He pulls the sheets up over them, his arm wrapped around her as he listens to her breathing deepen.

"Love you too sweetheart," he whispers, kissing her softly before pulling her closer. She mumbles something before sighing, her arm resting across his chest.

* * *

"We're married," Bela says, staring up at him urgently. "Casey, ohhh, Casey."

He swallows hard, staring down at her hand again.

"Maybe it wasn't legal-it is Vegas after all," he says. "And we were _very_ drunk last night."

"Still sober enough for them to marry us-oh my God, I can't believe this."

"We can have this taken care of," he says.

"I'm twenty eight, I can't-I'm gonna be a divorsee at twenty eight!" she says, horrified. "What are we gonna do?"

"We could leave things as they are," he says and she stares at him confused. "For the cover, Bela."

"Right. The cover."

"We're already living together, we could just say we took it to the next step," he explains.

"The next step would be an engagement," she teases before holding her hand up. "Not getting married in Vegas, with you giving me a novelty ring."

"You said you liked the ring," he mutters and she laughs, staring at it.

"I love it, Casey," she smiles. "It flashes."

"Yeah, well," he says. "I'll get you something more appropriate-for the cover."

"You don't have to-" she starts before he kisses her.

"Now, I say enough talk so we can spend our last day here doing something more fun," he smirks, rolling her onto her back.

"Right," she smiles. "Before my training."

"Before your training," he nods.

* * *

A/N: And that's the fill in chapter and yes, they're legally married. Next we have Bela completing her spy training before being reunited with Chuck and breaking the news to him. Please review!


	38. Chuck vs The Pink Slip

A/N: And now it's the start of the season three chapters! Sorry for the lack of updates, but I've been doing double shifts all holidays which has been SO much fun… Anyway, hoping for more regular updates now that things have settled down. Please review!

* * *

Bela slowly looks around the room as the bag is removed from her head.

"Agent Carmichael," the burly man in front of her greets.

"Call me Bela," she says, making him laugh. "You have something that belongs to my boss, Yuri. A case, I would like for you to give it to me. Please."

"Ha, you show up with no gun and please?" he asks. "And what, I quiver in fear?"

"We've got a lock on the case, it's in the room with you," Beckman says through the bug in her ear.

"Give me the case, or else," she says.

"Or else what?" he asks, before pulling a gun on her. "Or else I do this!"

"No," Bela says after flashing. "I was thinking something more like this."

She struggles with Yuri briefly before taking the gun from him.

"Ah cool, everybody be cool! Everybody just chill out!" she yells, her gun aimed at Yuri. "Very, very good, everyone on the ground now. Nice and easy. Now Yuri, hand me that case then after that it's perogi time."

"No," he says.

"Shoot him, Bela," Beckman orders. She hesitates, Yuri moving towards her.

"So do it, shoot me," he says.

"Don't mess with me, Yuri," she says.

"Shoot him, now!" Beckman yells, Bela taking a breath before pulling the trigger.

"Oh!" she gasps, Yuri doubling over in pain. "I'm sorry, are you okay?"

"Bela, the others," Beckman reminds her, Bela glancing at them before biting her lip.

"Sorry," she apologises before shooting them all and grabbing the case.

"You hesitated," Beckman says as Bela joins her outside.

"I just, I know how much it hurts to be shot... it _really _hurts," she mutters, handing the agents surrounding her all the equipment she had from the simulation.

"Then would you prefer _you _got shot as opposed to whoever you're fighting?" she asks.

"No," she mumbles.

"Isabela, relax, you did fine," she says, resting a hand on her shoulder.

"I did?" she asks.

"You did, we're done with your training and you will return to Burbank first thing in the morning," she informs her. "There's a mission that Agent Casey and Agent Walker will need your assistance with."

"Alright," she nods, smiling as Beckman leaves.

"Hey," Casey says, resting a hand on her back as he leads her away from the others.

"Casey!" she grins, pulling him to her as she presses her lips against his.

"Congratulations," he chuckles, pulling back.

"I passed," she sighs, resting her head against his shoulder. "I passed."

"You passed," he smiles, kissing the top of her head. "Ready to go home?"

"And see Chuck? Of course!" she beams. "I can't wait to start working with him."

"Yeah," he says slowly. "About that."

* * *

"Why didn't you tell me sooner?" Bela asks, pushing past Casey.

"You weren't exactly having the easiest time the past few months Bela," he growls. "I was looking out for you and you only."

"I was fixed," she says, turning to him. "You fixed me _months_ ago. We got married _months_ ago. Chuck has been miserable this whole time while we've been so freaking happy."

"You're my wife," he says, causing her to freeze. "I wanted you to stay happy."

"You know I'm telling Chuck, right?" she asks. "About the wedding."

"I'm surprised you haven't already," he shrugs.

"Yeah, well, this is something I want to tell him in person," she says, watching Casey frown as he glances at the surveillance cameras. "What is it?"

"Looks like your reunion is happening sooner rather than later," he mutters, making his way up the stairs of castle.

"What?" she asks, turning to look at the surveillance before grinning.

"Hurry it up, we have to finish packing," Casey says, Chuck following him back down the stairs.

"What's been happening in the..." he starts, stopping when he sees Bela.

"Hi," she smiles, leaning against the table.

He lets out a breath before closing the space between them, pulling her into a tight hug.

"I've missed you," he mutters into her hair before pulling back. "Bells, I haven't seen you since... since..."

"I know," she nods, staring up at him. "After you left, Casey and I... we had a lot to deal with, and then we took a couple weeks to regroup before starting my training."

"Your training," he nods, staring at his feet.

"I heard," she says. "I'm so sorry, Chuck."

"Did you...?"

"I... passed," she says.

"Oh," he nods. "You're a spy."

"Well, I don't think it's official yet," she says.

"We're working on it, she's as good as ready," Casey interrupts. "We have to go soon."

"Congratulations," Chuck says.

"Look, Casey only just told me about what happened to you," she explains. "When I talk to Beckman again I'm going to get her to give you another chance. But this look you've got going for you really isn't doing you any favours, Chuck."

"Bells-"

"You've done so much for me, just let me help you for once," she smiles.

"Tick tock," Casey says.

"Casey!" she growls.

"For better or worse, sweetheart," Casey reminds her.

"What?" Chuck asks, glancing between the two as Bela glares at Casey. "What does he...?"

"There's more," she says, resting her left hand on his. He stares down at it, his eyes widening as he sees the ring. "Casey and I got married..."

"That's not funny," he deadpans.

"It's not a joke," she says. "Chuck, I need you to be okay with this."

"Wh-wh-why would you-what-I don't-" he stutters, shaking his head.

"Chuck," she smiles, shaking her head. "It's okay."

"This is _not_ okay! Are you insane! What deluded part of your mind thinks that this is okay!" he yells, her smile vanishing.

"I thought-"

"What? Bells don't even say that you thought I'd be happy for you. You're married to-to-I can't believe this," he says, ignoring Casey as he watches the two. "Because the last time I saw you... Bells, I've never seen you like that before."

"I know," she says, her voice breaking as she remembers. "And you weren't there."

"That's not fair," he sighs.

"You weren't! You left, Chuck. And Casey was the one to pick up the pieces after Bryce… not you."

"So what, you marry him because of it? That's ridiculous!"

"You know that I… have… f-you know how I feel, okay?" she says, swiping at the tears sliding down her cheeks. "You know how I feel about him."

"Don't say that, how could I-"

"Because of Sarah," she whispers. "The way you feel about Sarah, is how I feel about him Chuck."

He stares at her, his eyes not leaving hers for a second until he once again closes the space between them.

"Are you happy?" he asks into her hair. She sniffs, turning her head slightly.

"I've never been happier," she whispers, glancing at Casey who clears his throat as their eyes meet.

Chuck sighs, his arms growing tighter around her.

"As long as you're happy, I'm happy for you," he whispers.

"Thank you," she smiles, the two parting as Casey joins the two.

"Bela," he says, resting his hand on her back.

"I know," she nods.

"Hey Casey, bit cheap with the ring don't you think?" Chuck jokes, nodding at Bela's hand. "I'm just saying, it's more something Morgan would've picked out."

Bela laughs at this, pressing a hand to Casey's chest.

"I love the ring," Bela explains, Chuck glancing at the folder behind her.

"Hey, you guys going on a mission? You need backup, I can still flash," he says.

"Hmph, not what I heard," Casey says, Bela hitting him in the arm.

"Come on Casey, please! Beckman canned me, alright man?" he says. "I need to prove to her that I can still do this, that I can still be a spy."

"Can ya?" Casey asks.

"Yes I can," he says. "And this will work, too. Because if I help you guys then maybe Beckman puts the old team back together."

"And all my dreams come true," Casey says.

"I think it's a good idea," Bela says.

"Thank you," Chuck says, glancing over Casey's shoulder at the computer.

"Of course she's gonna say that," he says, turning around. "What?"

"I'm heading out," Chuck sighs. "Enjoy your spy game thing and stay in touch."

"Ass," Bela growls at Casey.

"Hey," he calls after Chuck. "What happened between you and Walker?"

"Something I need to fix," he says before making his way up the stairs.

"No," Casey says, grabbing Bela's arm as she begins to follow. "We have a mission."

"But-" she starts before he kisses her.

"No," he says when they pull apart.

"Ass," she repeats.

* * *

"Why'd you knock him out?" Casey asks, watching Bela press an ice pack against Chuck's cheek.

"It was a slap," Sarah says.

"Lemon's got a glass jaw," he says.

"I was caught off guard on an empty stomach, okay? I didn't eat anything, I can take a punch," Chuck says.

"You were slapped," Casey repeats.

"Give him a break," Bela defends as Chuck stands up.

"I'm sorry, okay? I'm sorry guys, I didn't mean to screw anything up I just came here to help," he explains. "Things went wrong in Prague, I don't know why but I know that I can do this. I can be a spy. Sarah, you know I can please?"

"Get him out of here," she says, leaving.

"You heard the girl, get out of here."

"Casey, wait," he says. "I can help you."

"Bartowski it's a simple courier exchange. Gilles, the guy with Walker is the mark," Casey explains. "He's meeting with a major Ring operative tonight."

"The Ring, they killed Bryce," Chuck says, Bela leaving the room.

"The moment the ring courier meets with Gilles, we strike," Casey continues. "Now get out of here before you spook Javier."

"Who?"

"The courier, Javier Cruze," he says before leaving.

He makes his way back to the bar, joining Bela as she pours a drink.

"Alright?" he asks, referring to her hasty exit.

She nods, flashing him a quick smile before turning back to the job.

She sets the drink on the bar before glancing up at the stage, turning to Casey to see if he'd noticed. He had.

"Hola," Chuck greets from the stage, taking the guitar out.

"He's gonna blow the whole op," Casey says into his watch.

"Just give him a second," Sarah and Bela say at the same time, Casey shooting Bela a look at this.

Bela and Chuck grin at each other across the room before he glances down at the guitar, Bela realising he'd flashed.

"Where the hell'd he learn that?" Casey asks as he begins to play.

"Assassin," Chuck says, the two trying to read his lips. "Assassin!"

"Where?" Casey asks, Chuck shrugging.

"I'll scan the room, see if I flash on anyone," Bela says, making her way out onto the floor.

She turns and glares at Casey as a tranq dart is fired at Chuck, barely missing him and hitting the piano player instead.

"Sarah!" Chuck yells, leaping off the stage on top of her.

"Don't move, don't you move!" the room full of agents yell, everyone with a gun trained on Chuck.

"Chuck what the hell are you doing!" Sarah growls.

"There's an assassin here," he explains, the two getting to their feet. "There's an assassin here, people! He was gonna kill her, he's gonna kill you!"

"Where? Where is he!" she yells. "Half this club is undercover, Chuck!"

"We've been planning this for months, good thing we brought this many agents 'cause I'm gonna kill you," Casey growls, a group of agents holding him back as he tries to get to Chuck.

"Casey!" Sarah warns.

"Sarah, I flashed, I swear to you there was an assassin here, it was Javier!" he explains.

"Now we'll never know," she says. "You don't work anymore Chuck, it's over!"

"Bela," Casey says, grabbing her arm.

She glances at him before turning back.

"What did you flash on?" she asks.

"Don't waste your time, he just wants back in and is gonna say anything to try and make this happen," he says. "Let's go."

"If he flashed and I didn't, I need to know why!" she yells and he sighs, releasing her. "Chuck, what did you flash on?"

"His name, Javier's name," he says.

"But I read the files, I've heard his name, I never flashed," she says worried.

"All I know is Casey said Javier Cruze and I... Bells?" Chuck asks, watching her. "Did you just-"

"Now that's just-" Casey starts, watching the two. "I said his name constantly in front of you as did Sarah, even Beckman."

"Did you ever say it in one sentence, or was it just Javier?" Chuck asks.

"Just Javier," Bela whispers.

"This is why you need me!" he says, glancing between the two.

"Casey-" Bela starts.

"We're leaving," he says, his hand on her back. "Bartowski I suggest you do the same."

* * *

"Bells," Chuck grins as she joins Morgan and him in the Buy More. "What are you doing-"

"Bela!" Morgan interrupts, pulling her into a hug. "Where have you been, I haven't seen you for months!"

"She got-"

"Sick of Burbank," Bela says, interrupting Chuck. "I took a little vacation, _nothing_ life changing happened and I'm still the same me."

"Wow, that's... quite boring actually, Chuck I'm gonna throw this stuff in the Herder," he says, making his way outside.

"You're not telling people you're married?" Chuck asks.

"No..." she says, shaking her head. "Not yet."

"So, you're all packed?" he asks.

"Nearly," she says. "Casey and Sarah are still packing up castle, I snuck off to come see you."

"He's gonna be pissed," he laughs.

"I don't care," she smiles. "Come on, I thought we could hang out tonight since... we won't be doing a lot of that anytime soon."

He pulls her into a hug, kissing her hair before pulling back.

"Chuck!" she yells as Javier knocks Chuck out.

"And I owed you that," he says to his unconscious form before turning to Bela, her hands raised.

* * *

"Walker, any sign of Bela?" Casey asks, shutting his phone after getting no answer. "Walker?"

"She went to talk to Chuck," she says. "She wanted to say goodbye."

"I specifically told her not to leave," he growls, making his way to the surveillance cameras.

"They're best friends," she sighs, moving to his side. "They've known each other longer than they've known us, let them say goodbye."

He frowns, the Buy More empty as he flicks through the surveillance.

"You've got to be kidding me," he says, the two looking at the dead body of Emmett in the loading bay before turning to the agent behind him. "I want a real time satellite trace on every car that's been in the Buy More parking lot the last six hours; do it, get a chopper ready!"

"Sir, on whose authority?" he asks.

"Mine," Casey growls. "The Colonel."

* * *

"Come on Chuck, you can do this just one flash of kung fu and we are out of here," he says, pacing his cell before sitting down. "I'm dead, I'm so completely dead!"

"Chuck! Chuck, can you hear me?" Bela calls from the next room.

"Bela?" he asks.

"I can't get out of here," she says, glancing around her own cell. "Javier won't come in here, I can't flash on him to get me out, you have to do it."

"Bells, you know I can't," he says. "Casey and Sarah are right, I'm a lemon."

"Chuck, you can do this," she encourages. "Just... don't freak out."

He stands up as Javier unlocks his cell, moving towards him.

"When I'm done with you, I'm gonna deal with her," he threatens. "The girl."

Chuck takes a deep breath, staring at Javier as he flashes.

"Me first," Chuck says, blocking Javier's fist before punching him in the face, knocking him to the ground.

"Chuck? What happened?" Bela asks.

"Something... awesome," he says, before taking the keys out of Javier's pocket, also picking up the flashing device next to him.

He quickly moves to Bela's cell and unlocks it, the two making their way to the roof.

"Where are we?" he asks.

She looks around, frowning.

"Mexico," she answers, the two ducking as Javier's men fire at them. "Neither of us have a gun, we need to get off this roof."

Chuck looks around, flashing on the wire next to them.

"What are you doing?" she asks as he unbuckles his belt, pulling it off and slipping it over the wire.

"Zip line," he explains.

"Okay," she nods, wrapping her arms around him as they slide down the line.

"I can't believe that worked!" he says once they're on their feet.

"I don't think it did," Bela says, looking around as Javier's men surround them.

She bites her lip, shutting her eyes as Javier aims his gun at the two.

"Bells," Chuck says, pulling her to the ground as a helicopter starts firing at the men.

"Come on," he says, taking her hand as they rush towards it, dodging the crossfire.

"Move, move, move!" Casey yells as they climb in the back. "Let's go!"

* * *

"Javier Cruze was a vital operative to the Ring's Mexican syndicate," Beckman informs the four. "The device you picked up is a custom smart phone for Ring operative, this is the first one we have ever captured."

"Hey," Chuck says. "Good job Team Bartowski-Tiernan."

"General, Agent Walker and Agent Tiernan and I will be departing for Lisben tonight, there's been chatter that another Ring cell is operating there," Casey says.

"That won't be necessary," she says.

"Why not?" he asks.

"I can't believe I'm about to say this."

"Say it," both Chuck and Bela say. "We mean... please say it."

"I am putting Operation Bartowski-Tiernan back into the field," Beckman says.

"Yes!" they grin.

"Casey, Sarah, you will work alongside the two to bring down the ring," she explains. "That is all."

"Yeah, this is great, come on guys, the four of us, the old gang back together again," Chuck says. "I cannot wait, hey what's our new covers going to be, because I need a new job, can it be something exciting? Race car driver? Hmm? It's gotta be something cool."

* * *

"Oh wow," Chuck says as Bela and Casey walk with him into the Buy More. "I can't believe you got us these jobs back so quickly."

"Yeah, well, with no manager the paper work was easy to push through," Casey explains.

"So Emmett really took a Large Mart job in Anchorage?" Bela asks.

"That's the rumour," he says.

"Good for him," Chuck says. "Oh, also, thanks for doing me that extra favour."

"What?" Casey asks.

"I speak of the bearded one," he says, nodding at Morgan.

"We're back," Morgan grins, Lester and Jeff following him over.

"No!" Lester yells, staring at Bela.

"What?" she asks, Casey staring between the two confused. "You're not happy that I'm back?"

"You're-you're-" he stutters, staring at her wide eyed. "You're married!"

She laughs, holding up her hand.

"Yes!" she says, shaking her head at him in disbelief. "What's the problem?"

"You're married!" Morgan asks. "To who!"

"Morgan," Chuck says, nodding at Casey. "Seriously."

"Oh, right of course," he nods. "Well congrats, that's-that's great. That you're married. To John Casey."

"Why is everyone being so weird?" she asks, turning to Chuck.

"You forgot about when you first started here?" he asks. "You were the last person anyone would expect to get married. Ever."

"Yeah, well, things change," she says, turning to Casey. "People change."

* * *

"We get to train against each other?" Bela grins, pulling on her gloves. "Awesome."

"What? No, not awesome, what if I hurt you?" Chuck asks, shaking his head. "No, I won't do this."

"You will, _now_," Casey growls.

"Afraid I'm gonna kick your ass?" Bela asks, grinning at Chuck.

"Fine, but if I hurt you, remember you asked for it," he says, pulling on his gloves.

"Don't worry, she can take it," Casey says, nodding at the two.

"Kicked his ass," she says, smirking at Chuck.

"I let 'er win," he says, ignoring her snort. "Ready?"

"No," Chuck says, Bela grinning as she moves towards him.

"Just think... this can be payback for all those times I called you drunk, got you to pick me up, talked to you about my one night stands-aha!" she laughs as he swings at her.

"Don't remind me," he says, dodging her fist. "Maybe now you'll settle down."

"We'll see," she teases before glancing at Casey. "I'm kidding."

He shakes his head before wincing as Chuck hits her right in the jaw.

"Eyes on the prize, sweetheart!" he yells. "Don't let your guard down!"

"You're gonna pay for that," she laughs, kicking Chuck in the side.

"Yeah," he pants, landing on his back as she sweeps his legs out from under him.

"Ha!" she grins triumphantly.

"I forgot you used to train in college," Chuck groans, staring up at her.

"And you were afraid you'd hurt me," she grins, gasping as Casey pulls her to her feet.

"The straddling is not so cute when you're doing it to someone else," he says, ignoring her laughter as he inspects her jaw.

"I'm fine," she says, rolling her eyes.

"Glad you are," Chuck says, still on the ground.

"Pfft," she says, helping him up. "Lightweight."

"You have an advantage!" he protests.

"We both have intersects in our heads, Chuckles, don't make excuses," she says, the two removing their gloves.

"Yeah, yeah," he says, making his way out.

"We're gonna head home, are you coming?" she asks, leaning against the door.

"Got something to do, I'll meet you there," Casey says.

"Okay," she nods, quickly turning to follow Chuck.

* * *

"Thought you would've joined me," Bela says, walking into the bedroom. Casey looks up, smirking at the towel wrapped around her.

"Just got home," he says and she frowns.

"Took your time."

"Yeah, well, I got something for you," he says, walking over to her.

"I bet you do," she snorts, looping her thumbs in his pants.

"No," he says, taking her hands in his before sliding off the novelty ring.

"Casey..." she whispers, staring down at its replacement. "Oh my god."

"Got sick of the jokes," he says, frowning at her silence. "If you don't like it-"

She cuts him off, pressing her lips firmly against his.

"I love it," she grins, staring down at her hand. "Oh my god. This is…"

She shakes her head, continuing to stare down at her hand in amazement.

He stares at her uncomfortably, scratching the back of his neck before reaching forward.

"Whoops," he smirks, her towel falling to the ground.

She grins, her attention returning to him as her hands work fast on his belt, his pants soon falling to the floor before she pushes him back on the bed.

He growls low in his throat as she climbs on top of him, pressing her hips against his.

He pulls her toward him, his lips touching her neck before she grinds against him, his teeth softly biting her shoulder.

She pulls back, moving to sit fully on top of him as he slides his hands up her thighs, not taking his eyes off of her as she stares down at him.

She swallows hard before rolling her head back, and he watches the sweat beads form on her chest before his eyes close in pleasure, his grip on her tightening as he finishes.

He feels her shift before she kisses him desperately, riding out the last waves of pleasure before collapsing on top of him. She grins as he blows her hair out of his face, gently moving her head to the side.

They both catch their breath, her fingers lazily tracing designs on his chest before she glances at her ring.

"Remind me to thank Sarah," she says and he frowns.

"For what?" he asks.

"Picking out the ring," she smirks and he sighs. "I like that you asked her, I know that wouldn't have been easy."

"Shut it," he mutters against her skin.

"Make me," she whispers, laughing as he growls before flipping her onto her back.

* * *

A/N: So now nearly everyone knows about the marriage, some taking it better than others. Next chapter Carina pays the team a visit. Please review!


	39. Chuck vs The Three Words

A/N: Sorry this one has taken oh so long. No excuses, just a shiny new chapter to read! Please review!

* * *

"God, it feels like I haven't been off duty in years," Sarah says, Bela and Carina downing drinks beside her. "How long are you in town for, anyway?"

"I plan on getting out quick," Carina says. "Los Angeles has all the cultural panache of a porta potty."

"I've missed you," Sarah laughs.

"So why are you still here?" she asks. "How long can you possibly have to protect some dufuss at a stereo store?"

"You know, I don't really want to talk about work," Sarah says, ignoring Bela's grinning.

"Ah, so you're sleeping with him?"

"We have a _very_ professional relationship," Sarah says.

"Oh."

"What?" she asks.

"Nothing," Carina says. "You're just really into him that's all."

"Can we please not talk about Chuck?" Sarah asks.

"Oh my god, Walker," Carina says, Bela watching the two with amusement.

"What?"

"You broke the cardinal rule of spying, didn't you?" she asks, Sarah rolling her eyes and finishing her drink.

"And don't think that I didn't notice," Carina says, turning her attention to Bela now.

"Excuse me?" she asks.

"What's that on your finger huh? You're married?" Carina smirks. "To Casey?"

"Oh shut up, shut up right now," she says, ordering another shot of tequila.

"No, it's good," she nods. "I knew he had feelings for you, but wow, what happened?"

"Nothing happened," she shrugs.

"Unbelievable," Carina smirks. "Cardinal rules being broken left and right."

Bela shakes her head, glancing down at her phone.

"Husband calling?" Carina teases, Bela rolling her eyes before leaving the two as she takes the call.

* * *

"Hey, hey, that guy you were just talking to-uh, hey Chuck," Bela says, rejoining Carina and Sarah.

"Carina's fiancé," Chuck says.

"Carina's what...? No, wait, what? He's-that guy, I just flashed on him," she says. "He's a-"

"An arm's dealer?" Carina asks. "Yeah, my mark."

Chuck and Bela exchange looks as she laughs.

"What, you think I'm an idiot?" she asks. "It's the cardinal rule, spies don't fall in love. Welcome to your new mission."

* * *

"Stop it," Casey growls, slapping away Bela's wandering hand before stacking more boxes in the cage of the Buy More.

"Why are you working," she mutters, shaking her head.

"Why aren't _you_ working?" he questions as she leans against the wall, glaring at him.

"Fine," she sighs, a hand sliding up her chest before slowly undoing the buttons on her shirt.

He fails to notice, Bela shaking her head in disbelief before taking out her phone and quickly reading the message from Sarah.

"Crap!" she gasps as his hands wrap around her wrists, pinning her arms to the wall behind her.

She growls in frustration as his lips slide over her collarbone.

"What?" he asks confused, pulling back.

"Sarah wants us in castle," she mutters and he releases her, watching as she quickly rebuttons her shirt.

* * *

"Agent Miller has been working undercover for the CIA, playing the girlfriend of suspected arm's smuggler Karl Stromberg," Beckman informs the group.

"We learnt ten million dollars was recently wired into Stromberg's account, we don't know what this weapon is but someone's willing to pay a lot of money for it," Carina adds.

"We gotta get it before it falls into enemy hands," Chuck says.

"Thanks for being on the case, Nancy Drew," she deadpans. "My engagement party is today at Karl's house, Sarah and Chuck will enter as my best friend and her loving boyfriend; the cover that they established at the club."

"Mister Bartowski, is that a problem?" Beckman asks as Chuck frowns.

"I'm cool, no problemo," he says.

"Bela will be my sister," Carina continues, Bela glancing at Sarah and Chuck. "And Casey will pose as my father."

"Check your math sister, I'll play your brother," he says.

"That's a bit of a stretch, Colonel," she says.

"Uh yeah Casey, I think you have dungarees that are older than Carina," Chuck adds, Bela snorting at this before innocently smiling up at Casey.

"Colonel you will assume the identity of Agent Miller's _uncle_," Beckman says.

"Carina's father's much younger brother," he adds.

"Karl's storing the weapon in a gold case inside a vault room adjacent to his bedroom," Carina explains. "During Karl's toast, Sarah and Chuck will slip out, break in and apprehend it. He keeps the access key to his secure area in his pants, which I can easily access."

"I bet you can," Casey snorts.

"Karl also just installed a state of the art security system in the vault room, so I hope the two of you can handle anything you find there."

"Uh, any is kind of a broad word," Chuck says.

"Chuck is just being modest, his and Bela's recent training has equipped them to handle any security obstacle," Sarah says. "There won't be a problem."

"Better not be," Carina says.

"This whole mission rides on the two of you, Chuck and Bela," Beckman says before ending the link.

"What a surprise," Bela sighs, glancing at him.

* * *

"Can you zip me up?" Bela asks, holding her dress up as she walks over to Casey.

He glances at her before clearing his throat.

"That's what you're wearing?" he asks.

"Don't start this again," she says, rolling her eyes. "Zip. Please?"

He sighs, sliding the zip up before resting his hands on her shoulders.

"You don't have to worry about me," she smiles, leaning back into his chest as his arms wrap around her waist. "No matter what happens on a mission, I _always_ come home to you."

He stops himself before mentioning Bryce.

"Yeah you do," he nods, kissing the top of her head before releasing her. "Now you can help me get ready."

He ignores her grin as he holds up a fake moustache and glasses.

* * *

"Carina!" Bela smiles, rushing over to her with Casey behind her.

"Sweetheart, this is my sister Bela, and my Uncle Johnny, daddy's brother," Carina says, leading Karl over to them.

"Kid brother," Casey adds as Bela and Karl embrace.

"It's great to finally meet some of Carina's family," he says, pulling Casey into a hug as well. "Not too sure about the resemblance though."

"Oh, daddy and Uncle Johnny share the same thick neck and square head," Carina smirks before taking Bela's hand. "Will you excuse us, we'll just be a second."

"Where are we going?" Bela asks, glancing back at Casey.

"What is he doing?" she asks, ignoring Bela's question as she watches Chuck and Sarah.

"Prague," Bela says, Carina turning to her. "Things haven't been the same since they got back."

Carina growls, storming over to Chuck as Sarah walks away from him.

"Hey, what's wrong?" Bela asks, catching up to Sarah.

"Chuck's being… Chuck," she sighs.

"And you're being you," she says, Sarah frowning in confusion.

"You love him, and instead of telling him you're being cold," she explains. "It's not helping anyone."

"Hey, hey Sarah," Chuck says, rushing over to the two.

"Tell him," Bela whispers before rejoining Casey.

"Everything alright?" he asks as Karl signals the start of the toast.

She nods, both taking a glass of champagne.

"Quick speech," she whispers, glancing around at the people clearing.

"Wait!" Carina yells. "I just know that my Uncle Johnny's dying to say something."

"Johnny," Karl nods, signalling him over as Bela hides her smirk.

"I-I'm not ordinarily a man of many words, or any words for that matter, but in this case I'm willing to make an exception," he says. "I remember when I first set eyes on sweet Carina; I was practically just a boy."

"Oh my god," Bela grins, shaking her head.

"And my big brother brought home the most beautiful baby girl in the world," he continues. "I'm so proud of the woman that Carina has become."

"Bela, we might need you," Sarah says into her watch.

Casey continues his speech as she slips out of the room unnoticed.

"Are you kidding me?" Bela scoffs, joining the two. "W-why would you think I could-I can't do this! I'm wearing a dress!"

"I can't flash Bells, you have to," Chuck says, turning to her. "You've already flashed, haven't you?"

"Guys, we're wasting time!" Sarah yells, Bela shushing her.

"Chuck, just relax," Bela whispers. "You can do this; whatever else you're thinking about right now can wait."

"But Sarah-"

"Chuck, I am right here and we can talk about whatever you want to talk about later, we just have to get our hands on that weapon first," Sarah says. "We'll talk, I promise."

Chuck smiles, turning back to the lasers before flashing.

"Go for it," Bela smiles, watching him before turning to Sarah. "Thank you."

She turns to her, confused.

"For calming him down," she explains. "His emotions, they're the biggest tie to the intersect for him. I don't know why it doesn't affect me like it does him, but I'm going to help him every step of the way, and I'm going to need your help."

"Okay," Sarah nods.

They both watch in silence as Chuck reaches the briefcase, sliding it across the floor to them before making his way back.

"Okay, now we can talk," he says before accidentally swinging the briefcase into a laser.

"Damn it!" Sarah says, the door sliding shut between them.

"I don't like small spaces!" he yells.

"Just keep breathing Chuck!" Sarah says as Bela tries to unlock the door. "You're gonna be fine!"

"Gas, gas, gas, there's gas in here!" he yells. "Guys, I'll be taking exclusively short breaths from now on!"

"Vent," Bela says, nodding to the ceiling. "Okay Chuck, we're gonna get you out of there!"

"I'll boost you up," Sarah says, helping Bela into the vent before being pulled up, the two ignoring Chuck spilling his emotions.

"Here's the gas valve," Bela says, struggling to turn it off before it finally moves.

"There's two guys," Sarah whispers, nodding to the vent. Bela nods, watching her toss a lipstick down before sliding out herself, the two knocking out the men.

"I got it," Bela says, entering in the code before the door slides open.

"Sarah," Chuck says, swaying. "I love you."

She catches him as he falls against her, Bela moving to help her.

* * *

"Good job recovering the weapon, how is the asset doing?" Beckman asks.

"He'll live," Sarah says.

"What is this thing, General?" Casey asks, Bela and him staring at the weapon. "Never seen a weapon like it before."

"That information is above your pay grade, Colonel Casey," she says. "Agent Miller will return it to Langley on her way out to her next assignment. You never saw it."

"They wouldn't tell me either," Carina shrugs before closing the case. "Hey Walker, did you think about my offer?"

Bela moves over to Chuck's side, listening to the conversation.

"I'm still considering it," she says.

Bela puts a finger to her mouth as Chuck slowly wakes, the two listening as Sarah get Beckman back onto the screen.

"Agent Walker, is everything okay?" she asks.

"It's about Chuck's safety," she says.

"I thought he just needed some sleep."

"Well it's about me managing Chuck and keeping his emotions in check so that the intersect can work," she explains. "I'm beginning to think I'm more a part of the problem than the solution and I think a different agent might have more success in training him."

"Let me be clear, Agent Walker," Beckman says. "I don't know or want to know what happened between you two, but this is your job and Chuck's safety depends on you, so get over it and teach him how to be a real spy."

Chuck and Bela stare at each other in silence before Sarah glances over at them.

"Well, time to train Chuck," Sarah says. "Let's go."

"Good luck," Bela whispers before finding Casey cleaning his guns.

She sits beside him in silence, slowly picking up one of the weapons.

Casey glances at her as she beings to dismantle it.

"Everything alright?" he asks.

She slowly leans over and kisses him before pulling back, nodding.

* * *

"So what's the news on Carina, anything I can do to help?" Chuck asks.

"Every branch of US intelligence is looking for her Chuck," Sarah says.

"America's best and brightest are on the case, so you can just sit tight," Casey adds.

Chuck sighs, sitting down next to Bela at the table.

She glances at him as his phone rings.

"Hey buddy," he says. "I'm kind of in the middle of something right now. What about Carina? So you're telling me that Carina is at our apartment right now. Yeah, I can believe it. No, no, no Morgan stay away! Because it's dangerous-ly uncool. Women love mystery, buddy, you've got to be aloof. Promise me that you'll stay away."

Casey and Sarah stare at Chuck as he ends the call.

"Crap," Bela mutters.

* * *

"Whoa, stop, what're you thinking? You can't go out there blasting, all of our friends are out there, half the mall is out there," Bela says as Casey joins them with an arm full of guns back at their apartment.

"Got a better plan, sweetheart?" he asks.

"As a matter of fact I do, Carina is still alive which means she hasn't given Karl the case yet which means we have something to negotiate with, peacefully."

"She's right, question is where's the weapon," Sarah says.

They all turn to the monitor on Casey's desk, watching as Morgan enters the apartment and confronts Carina.

"No!" they yell as he takes the briefcase, handing it over to Karl.

"Idiot," Casey says. "Now they have both Carina and the weapon, no negotiating now."

"Okay, wait, wait, wait, there's still got to be something, there has to be a contingency plan in case enemy agent's infiltrate my apartment, right?" Chuck asks. "Like a button that you push to call the cavalry so that they can clear everyone out, where's the button?"

"Me," Casey says. "I'm the button."

"Damn it, Casey, we've been over this!" Bela yells, exasperated. "Our friends are out there! No weapons!"

"I don't see you suggesting anything," he growls, frowning in confusion as she tosses his dressing gown at him.

"Put this on, take this," she says, pushing a torch into his hands. "And go get rid of everyone first. Then we shoot."

He grunts, accepting her plan as he opens the front door.

"Here, you're gonna need a weapon," Sarah says, the three watching as Casey sprays everyone with a hose, clearing them out.

"No, no guns I hate guns you know that," Chuck says, shaking his head.

Sarah sighs, handing Bela the gun and grabbing a tiki torch for Chuck.

"Think of it as a bow," she explains.

"Sorry to disturb your sleep, sir," Karl says, the group walking past Casey in his pyjamas.

"No problem," he says before aiming his guns at them.

"Drop your weapons!" Sarah yells, her and Bela also holding their guns on the men as Chuck stays behind them.

"Put it down!" Casey says.

"I should've known by your paint peeling speech, Uncle Johnny was a nark too," Karl says, holding a gun on Carina.

"Drop the gun lover boy."

"I'm having the worst day of my life, so I don't give a fat crap," he says.

"Sarah, Bela drop your guns! Casey drop your guns!" Chuck says, moving out in front.

"Huh?" Casey asks.

"Trust me," he says.

They slowly put the weapons on the ground, Karl ordering his men to get them as Chuck tosses the torch into the fountain, filled with alcohol from the party.

Casey and Sarah knock out Karl's men as Bela picks up the discarded guns.

"Let her go, Karl!" she says.

"You shoot me, I shoot her, I don't care," he says. "Bitch has broken my heart. She dies."

"I get it man, I get it okay?" Chuck says. "You took a chance, you love someone, maybe for the first time in your life all you've ever done before is shut off your feelings, you bury them deep down inside because in your profession, in your line of work it's a liability right? It can certainly be a liability. And I know that you think you messed up your life because you opened up your heart but maybe you helped her open up her heart in the process. Maybe because you loved her, she's learned how to love too."

"He's right, Karl," Carina says. "I did fall in love with you. Maybe at first you were just an assignment, but not anymore."

"Really?" he asks, Carina taking this moment to kick him and free herself, knocking him out cold with the briefcase.

"Yeah right, stupid," she says.

"Spies don't fall in love," Sarah adds.

* * *

"Don't touch it, Miss Tiernan," Beckman says, coming up on the screen in Casey and Bela's apartment.

"Uhh, I wasn't-" Bela stutters, Chuck grinning beside her. "I was thinking that maybe if we looked at it we could flash."

"No thank you, all I need to know is that it's now back in safe hands," she says. "Colonel Casey will stay with it until a team arrives to secure it. That is all."

"Hmph," Bela sighs, glancing at Chuck. "Plans?"

"For starters? Clean up the mess that is Morgan's party aftermath," he says, and she groans.

"Gee, wish I could help but I think Casey needs my help watching the briefcase," she says slowly.

"Nope, I'm good," Casey says, not looking up from his work.

"Looks like you're free to help," Chuck grins, pulling her by the arm into the courtyard.

* * *

A/N: Again, sorry this has taken a ridiculously long amount of time to post. The next one will be out much faster! Please review!


	40. Chuck vs The Angel de la Muerte

A/N: New chapter! Again, it took it's time but I've been overseas so haven't had any time to work on this. Here it is though, finally...

* * *

"Bells, you wanna come hang out for a while?" Chuck asks as she waits for Casey to unclip himself before the helicopter departs.

She grins at him before remembering Chuck's question.

"Uh, not tonight, Chuck, sorry," she says, Casey wrapping an arm around her waist before whispering in her ear. "I'll talk to you tomorrow!"

She waits as Casey unlocks their apartment, laughing as he tosses the keys aside before pushing her up against the door. She presses her face into his chest, trying to stop her giggling as his fingers run against her side as he removes the harness.

"You're not usually this ticklish," he notes, watching as she bites her lip while wiping the tears from her eyes.

"Stop!" she laughs, his fingers deliberately digging in now as she rests her hands on his. "Casey!"

His hands move higher up her back, pulling her closer to him as his lips meet hers. She begins unbuttoning his shirt, not noticing him gently walking her backwards until her legs meet the couch.

"Oh!" she gasps, falling backwards before grinning as he crawls on top of her.

"You are wearing far too many clothes," he mutters, unfastening her jeans. She kicks them off, watching as he removes his own. She grins as his underwear slides off with them.

"What're you-" she starts, her voice muffled as he pushes her shirt over her head, leaving her arms trapped above her. "Casey."

He grins as she stares up at him helpless, his hand gripping her hip as he moves against her.

"If you free my arms, I can take it off," she teases, noticing his eyes on her bra.

He considers it for a moment, rolling his head back as he feels her contract around him.

"C'mon, Casey," she whispers, slowly licking her lips.

He glances at her before smirking.

"I'll manage," he says, flicking open her bra.

"Front clasp," she sighs, remembering.

"Thanks, sweetheart," he chuckles before tilting his head, his lips encircling one of her breasts.

"Oh, god," she moans, jerking at the contact. She arches into him, his hands sliding up her arms. His fingers play with the edge of her shirt before moving back down, leaving it in place.

"Damn you," she pants, resting her head back on the cushions before noticing her shirt slip. She watches as he moves to her other breast, completely distracted, and moves her arms slightly, causing the shirt to slip more. She grins, easily pulling it off now, Casey not noticing until her hands press against his shoulders, pushing him off the couch and onto the floor, landing with a thud as she falls with him.

"What the-" he says confused before growling as she presses down on his chest, her hips thrusting against his. She lets out a breath, his hands moving to cup her breasts as she rolls her head back.

"Ohhh, Casey," she pants, swallowing hard. "Ohhh!"

His hands drop, gripping her hips hard as they both reach their release.

"God _damn,_ Bells!" he grunts, smacking her on the ass before she collapses on top of him.

His hands rest on her backside as they catch their breath.

"Should've used the handcuffs," he smirks, earning a smack on the arm as she sits up. "Round two?"

She licks her lips before smiling down at him, slowly leaning her head towards his as their phones both sound.

He curses as they separate, both scrambling for their mobiles.

"No round two, not right now at least," she mutters, reading the message.

* * *

"Finally," Sarah says as Casey and Bela rush down the stairs.

"Why are you two so sweaty?" Chuck asks, the two glancing at each other.

"Shut up, Bartowski," Casey snaps as they take a seat.

"The Costa Gravan Premier is listed in critical condition," General Beckman says.

"Outstanding!" Casey says. "Cracked the bubbly?"

"No," Beckman says. "I want you to go to the hospital and guard against further threats to his life, natural or otherwise."

"But haven't you personally given me the order to kill that commie crackpot on three separate occasions?"

"And three times you have failed to complete your orders," she says.

"Thought you said you had a perfect record," Sarah smirks, Casey shooting her a look.

"Wow, this is getting entertainingly uncomfortable," Chuck says, Bela smirking at him across the table.

"Our relations with Costa Grava have changed, Colonel," Beckman continues. "The Premier is here to announce plans to open his nation up to democratic elections."

"Oh, and you believe that-"

"Our duty is to stop anyone who would stop him from going through with his plan. Understood?"

"Yes ma'am," he says.

"So we're assuming this was an assassination attempt?" Sarah asks.

"Were not assuming anything until we've secured his medical records; that brings me to your assignment," she says. "The Premier is being treated at-"

"Let me guess," Chuck interrupts. "West Side Medical?"

"Correct," she nods.

"General are you suggesting that I exploit my sister and or brother in law to acquire confidential medical records for governmental use?"

"Yes Chuck, that's exactly what I'm suggesting."

"I knew it; I was off-wait up, hold on a second General-"

"And if anything happens to the premier, I'm holding you responsible," she says before signing off.

"Yay..." Bela deadpans, Casey shooting her a look.

* * *

"Is there anything your brother in law can't do?" Sarah asks, the four watching the press conference on the screen.

"Well, thus the nickname," Bela grins.

"Okay, enough sitting around, we need to figure out what really happened to the Premier," Casey says. "Let's go apprehend the good doctor, get those medical records out of him."

"Nobody is apprehending anybody, he's family, I can talk to him."

"Just remember Chuck, he's a civilian so be cool," Sarah says.

"Hellooo," he scoffs, rolling his eyes. "Bells, let's go."

"But he's not my family!" she protests before following him up the stairs.

* * *

"Why are we doing this again?" Bela asks, sitting with Chuck in the courtyard.

"It's-" he says, glancing up as he hears Devon approach. "Just go along with it."

"Sorry bro didn't mean to scare you," Chuck says, the two spinning around in their seats to face him.

"You didn't," Devon says, shrugging at the two.

"We didn't... whatever," Chuck says, standing. "Listen, there's a few questions we need to ask you."

"It's about the Premier, right? You sure you want to talk about this here hmm? Don't the CIA want to debrief me or something?"

"We are, debriefing you," Bela says, standing. "That's what we're doing right now, this is a debriefing."

"I mean in your secret base," Devon whispers.

"You watch too many movies," Chuck laughs. "Just tell us what you know about the Premier."

"Well I know he didn't really have a heart attack, his potassium level was off the chart," he explains. "I don't know how it got in his system."

"So he was poisoned," Bela says, glancing at Chuck.

"Okay, that's all we needed to know, thanks," Chuck says, the two turning to leave.

"Whoa, guys," Devon says, stopping them. "If there's anything else I can do?"

"No, you've been great," he says.

"No, seriously, the CIA needs an extra set of hands..."

"Good to know," Bela says slowly.

"Guys, you're not hearing me, okay nothing against married life, but I could use some real excitement."

"Devon, you're an adventure sports cardiologist," Chuck says.

"Whatever man, I can do that in my sleep!" he says. "I need some real action, some real adrenaline; I want to feel like I felt out on the football field. You know, I can still run a four four fourty."

"If we ever need a tight end, you're the first call we're making but until then you're my brother in law. Ellie would kill me!"

* * *

"Thanks to your brother-in-law's intelligence, we have to assume the assassin is still in play. There's an event at the Costa Gravan consulate this evening, I need your team there to guard the Premiere," Beckman says.

"You want us to break in?" Casey asks.

"Technically that's invading sovereign soil," Sarah adds.

"That is why the CIA has no official knowledge of this mission," she explains.

"Uh just spit balling here General," Chuck says. "Why don't we just tell the premiere that his life is in danger?"

"Would you trust a country that spent the better part of three decades trying to kill you?"

"Mmm yeah," Casey mutters.

"Your protection must go undetected," she continues.

"What, so that-that's it? We get busted then the CIA disavows us and then we rot for the rest of our lives in a Costa Gravan prison?"

"In Costa Gravas, the punishment for sedition is death by firing squad," Sarah says.

"Just my kind of mission, too bad I have to recuse myself," Casey says, Bela turning to him confused.

"What? He's bailing? You're bailing on us?" she asks quickly.

"I can't show my face on Costa Gravan soil, I'm a wanted man," he says. "You know what they'd do if they knew I was in Los Angeles? I spilt more blood in that mickey mouse revolution than any other…"

He stops, glaring at Chuck as he begins to laugh.

"Don't you think you're being a little paranoid?" Chuck asks.

"They called me el angel de la muerte," Casey adds. "The angel of death."

"Please. Bro. It was the eighties!" Chuck jokes, Bela smirking beside him. "C'mon. You really think the Premiere gives a flying crap about you? John Casey. Oh no, it's the angel of death! Casey, those aren't… oh boy."

They four look up as they hear movement outside the apartment, standing to look out the window.

They see Goya's men surrounding the courtyard, Casey quickly turning to his cabinet filled with guns.

"At last, they've come for me," he says, pulling a couple of guns down. "Think I'll take a few of these commies with me. Ready?"

"No, no, not ready," Bela frowns, standing in front of him. "You wait just one second!"

"They are not here for you, Casey," Chuck interrupts. "They're here for…"

"Oh no," Bela mumbles.

* * *

"Angel of Death," Bela chuckles, sat next to Casey in the surveillance van. He ignores her, watching the Premier on the screen.

"Alright ladies, yeah I'm talking to you too Bartowski," he says over the mic. "Enough of the chit chat, let's get back to protecting our foreign head of state shall we."

The two watch as the Premier begins to make an announcement.

"Ah great, a speech, makes him a walking target," he says.

"Casey," Bela warns, glaring at him as he scoffs at the Premier's speech.

"Don't tell me you're buying into his crap, sweetheart," he says, watching her type into the computer.

"So what if I am?" she frowns, ignoring him as he turns to face her.

"I can't believe what I'm hearing right now, are you serious?"

"Jesus Casey, lighten up, the guy isn't doing any harm, our mission is to _protect_ him, maybe you should focus on that," she says, switching on the mic.

"I ran the guest list against our database and got a hit. Subject entered on a stolen passport; I'm uploading you the photo right now."

"Thanks Bells," Chuck says, Sarah and him glancing down at his phone. "Who is he?"

"Real name's Pablo Alarcon, freedom fighter," she says, Casey resting a hand on her leg as he looks at the photo. "Guy spent twenty years in Costa Gravan prison for trying to overthrow the communist party."

She glances down at his hand, pushing it off in annoyance.

"Now who needs to lighten up," he says, shaking his head as he moves away.

"Funny," she deadpans, watching Chuck flash before leading Sarah across the dance floor. "Ohhh, no."

"Yeah, sorry Bells, but your assassin was carrying nothing but a rotten egg," Chuck says before Sarah and him are dragged away from the party by the guards.

"What happened?" Casey asks.

"Casey do you copy, I'm out of position, the Premier is completely unprotected, we need you in here," Sarah says.

He growls, standing up.

"What are you doing?" Bela asks, you can't go in there, you'll be recognised!"

"Well you're certainly not," he says, pushing past her.

"Casey!"

"Stay in the van," he growls, slamming the door shut and leaving her there stunned.

* * *

"What do you mean wait?" Bela growls, Chuck and Sarah behind her as she glares at the General on the screen. "Look General, I hate to interrupt your little cocktail party you've got going on there but we've got a man down here!"

"I appreciate your loyalty," she says.

"Well then send in the black ops, storm the consulate, Costa Gravan soil be damned, Casey was doing his job!" Bela yells, Chuck resting a hand on her shoulder as Sarah interrupts.

"Given Casey's history with Costa Gravas, I mean just imagine what they're doing to him."

"We will do everything we can to get the Colonel back, using diplomatic channels."

"Diplomatic channels! General!" Bela yells.

"We can't risk upsetting relations with Costa Gravas, their country's future is in the balance," Beckman says. "Until the Premier makes his announcement, I'm afraid Colonel Casey will have to handle himself."

"This is such crap!" Bela cries as she ends to communication. "We can't just sit here and do nothing!"  
"Bells," Chuck says but she shrugs off his hand, standing up.

"I'm not going to just do nothing," she hisses, leaving the two at the table.

* * *

"What the hell do you think you're doing?" Sarah asks, Bela following her into the briefing room with a bag full of weapons.

"Well I don't know, what the hell do you think you're doing?" Chuck asks, Devon watching them with interest.

"Bringing a civilian in here, do you have any idea how far off the reservation you've gone?" Sarah asks.

"Oh yeah, and what do you call invading foreign soil against orders?" Chuck asks.

"I have no choice," she says, nodding at Bela silently packing the bag.

"Well we're coming with you," he says.

"No, trust me you don't want any part of this, and neither do you," she says, turning to Devon. "What happened, I thought you didn't want your family getting messed up with the CIA."

"Okay look, before you say anything else, and before you go running off getting yourselves shot," Chuck says, grabbing Bela's arm. "Devon thinks he can get us into the consulate, the Premier has invited him to be his own personal physician."

"Okay, here's the plan-" Devon starts.

"Stop, right there," Sarah says, holding her hand up. "I am way ahead of you."

* * *

"I feel ridiculous," Bela complains, walking through the consulate with the others.

"Just... wait until Casey sees you in it," Chuck shrugs, glancing at her nurse uniform. "It'll make up for the torture."

"Thanks," she growls as they reach the Premier's room.

"You want me to work in here?" Devon asks.

"Is there a problem?" the guard asks.

"He needs to move to a hospital."

"Why, so you North Americans can try to kill him yet again?" he asks, glancing at the others. "The Premier's orders were clear."

"Acute arrhythmia, this guy's hating life," Devon says.

"Don't forget Doctor Woodcomb, if anything happens to the premier-"

"Yeah I heard you the first time," he says. "Alright team let's get to work."

They move closer to the bed as Devon picks up the premier's chart.

"This guy's in big trouble, I need ten units of insulin," he says, Bela slowly turning to him and he leans closer. "Red bottle, yellow label."

She nods, moving over to his medical kit.

"So you come up with a plan yet?" he asks Chuck.

"Oh yeah, the plan is Sarah and I are gonna sneak out of here and save Casey while Bela and you stay here and save the premier, we've just gotta take care of those two guards there," he says.

"Those two soldiers with the machine guns? You and what army?"

"Uh that would be the girls, and their fists," Chuck says.

"Oh!" Bela gasps, knocking over the medical trolley as Sarah starts fighting the guards. Bela picks up one of the abandoned machine guns, using it to knock them out.

"Let's go," Sarah says, glancing at Bela with the machine gun against her hip.

"Casey's gonna be pissed that he missed out on seeing you with that," Chuck smirks as she glares at him.

"Just go get him!" she snaps and he quickly follows Sarah out the door.

"So you and Casey, huh?" Devon says, nodding at Bela's hand.

She glances down at the ring on her hand.

"Yeah," she nods her eyes on the door. "Casey and me."

"So is it a cover like Chuck and Sarah?" he asks, noting something down in the Premier's chart.

"Uh, no," she says, shaking her head and moving to stand next to him. "It's real."

"Wow Bells, that's great!" he grins, the two looking up as the door swings open.

"Guys, we've got to get out of here," Sarah says, Chuck helping Casey into the room.

"Oh my god!" Bela gasps, rushing over.

Casey grins at the sight of her.

"You're bleeding," she says, tossing the gun aside. "I knew I should have gone in, you should have waited in the van and-"

He cuts her off, his lips covering hers as he wraps an arm around her waist, pulling her against him.

"Guys, sorry to break this up but we need to leave," Chuck says. "Come on Devon, we've done what we needed to do now it's time to go."

"Sorry Chuck, my mission's not over," he says, leaning over the Premier.

"That man you're trying to save, turned his country into a pariah state, do you have any idea how many people he killed!" Casey growls.

"You're one to talk, Angel de la Muerte," the guard says, walking into the room with more men.

"Look, look he's not here as the Angel of Death right now, he's here to protect your boss, we all are," Bela says.

"The real killer's down in my cell," Casey says, leaning heavily against her.

"We found no one," the guard says, Casey passing out, his weight pressing Bela against the wall.

"Can't you see he's bleeding to death, please," Chuck says, helping her. "We will sort out who's trying to kill who later, right now we need to get this man to a doctor."

"He has a doctor," the guard says.

"I'm a little busy right now," Devon says.

"Not you, him."

"Who him, me him?" Chuck asks, Bela glancing up at this.

"If you wish to prove you're not an assassin, save him," he says.

"Oh god," Bela whispers, glancing down at Casey as he opens his eyes.

"What?" he asks, seeing her expression.

"Let's get you on the couch," she says, helping him up as Chuck tosses her a pair of gloves before pulling his own on.

"Okay, no problem, we've done this before, we've done this many times," Chuck says, setting up the equipment next to Casey.

"Let's start with anaesthesia," Bela says, reaching for the gas.

"No," the guard says, and she pauses, staring up at them incredulous as they shove a leather knife sheath between his teeth.

"You can't be serious-" Bela protests.

"Okay, no anaesthesia, no anaesthesia, that's fine, that's fine, he's a big tough man he can deal with the pain," Chuck says.

"The bullet may have grazed his femoral artery," Devon says. "Whatever you do-"

"Uh, tsk tsk tsk, let the doctor work," the guard interrupts.

"Nurse, why don't you go ahead and cut those pants open and we'll see what we're working with," Chuck says, Bela hiding her smile as she takes the scissors off the tray.

"Oh, oh, it's suddenly very hot in here, it's very, very hot in here, could somebody crack a window, or-"

"No," the guard growls, taking out his gun. "Just as I thought-"

"Chuck, you've got the hands of a surgeon bro, don't think about the guns; he's not your friend, he's your patient," Devon says, Bela clutching Casey's hand as Chuck takes some deep breaths.

"Chuck you can do this, just relax," Sarah says, glancing at Bela. "Have you flashed?"

She shakes her head, her hands trembling as she grips Casey's.

"I don't think I can," she whispers. "Chuck, please."

He nods at her before turning his attention to Casey's leg, letting out a breath as he flashes.

"Nurse, suction," he says confidently, Sarah handing him the device. "Scalpel, tweezers, gauze, iodine, forceps."

"Hurry it up!" Bela gasps, Casey squeezing her hand hard.

"It's just like operation, you know, the game," he says, Casey groaning as he removes the bullet.

"What's wrong?" the guard asks as the Premier's heart monitor begins to alarm.

"There's nothing I can do for him here, nothing short of a blood transfusion," Devon says. "I don't even know what blood type he is."

Casey begins to mutter something, Bela removing the sheath from his mouth.

"His blood type's AB negative," he says. "What, you learn a lot about a guy when you're trying to kill him. What else you wanna know? Favourite movie's Terms of Endearment, _always_ showers after love making-"

"Okay, none of that's gonna save him now," Devon says. "We need someone with type AB negative blood now, someone big. Does anyone have type AB negative blood?"

"What are you doing?" Casey asks, Chuck picking up his dog tags. "Put those back, give me that!"

"Sorry buddy," he says.

"You take one drop of blood from me, I swear to god I'm gonna rip your-"

"Chuck!" Bela protests, watching as he holds the anaesthesia mask on Casey's face.

"Sorry Bells," he says as she glares at him.

"I can't believe you're doing this," she frowns.

"He'll be fine," Sarah assures her.

"You're not the one that's going to have to listen to him complain about all of this," Bela huffs.

* * *

"Hi! Hey! Chuck… Uh, I feel like death. What happened?" Casey groans, slowly coming to.

"You're just in time big boy," Sarah smirks, moving to the side.

"Time for what?" he asks, looking up and seeing Beckman on the screen.

"Congratulations, the premiere made a full recovery, although I cannot endorse your methods, you enabled him to make his announcement as planned," she says. "Costa Gravas will have its first democratic election, and it wouldn't have happened without your _extraordinary_ sacrifice."

"I got shot, that's nothing extraordinary," he shrugs, the others glancing at each other.

"You don't remember?" Sarah asks, Casey frowning before turning to Chuck.

"Huh? You stole my blood. You stole my blood and you put it in a stinking commie despot."

"Former stinking commie despot, thank you," Chuck says.

"The premiere wanted to thank you personally, Colonel Casey…" Beckman says.

"But this will have to do," Sarah finishes, handing Casey a box of cigars.

"Huh?" he asks, reading the note.

"These are pre-revolutionary Costa Grava cigars," he sighs, Beckman signing off as he looks around. "Where's Bela?"

* * *

"Bells, Bells, wake up," Casey whispers, brushing the hair off her face as her eyes slowly open.

"Casey?" she asks confused as she sits up. "Oh thank god, you're awake!"

He chuckles as she wraps her arms around him, Casey moving next to her on the cot.

"Watch the leg, sweetheart," he says as they pull apart.

"Sorry," she apologises. "I should have been there when you woke up, but after the mission and watching you-I guess Chuck and Sarah thought I needed the sleep."

"It's fine," he says, kissing her again.

"Are you alright?" she asks, glancing at the bandage on his thigh. "You lost a lot of blood... ahh, I mean-"

"I know about the _donation_," he mutters. "Whatever, got some cigars out of it."

"Oh, _great_," she says, rolling her eyes.

He glances down at her clothes, grinning.

"What?" she asks before realising she still had on the nurse uniform. "Oh!"

"I guess I should probably change," she says, hiding a smile.

"Don't you dare!" he growls, pulling her closer.

"I'm glad you're okay," she says, resting her head on his shoulder. "You… I was scared for a while there."

He holds her close, lightly kissing the top of her head.

"Ready to go home?" he asks, resting a hand on her back.

She nods, the two standing as his phone rings.

"What now?" she sighs, Casey's face paling. "Casey what is it?"

"Devon's been kidnapped," he says.

* * *

A/N: Oh no, Captain Awesome! Next chapter should be up within the next week or so, it's already halfway finished so won't be long. Please review!


	41. Chuck vs Operation Awesome

A/N: New chapter! Trying to get these out as consistently as possible at the moment. So here's part two; last chapter Devon was kidnapped! Please review!

* * *

"You two, stop freaking out," Casey says, feeling Bela and Chuck's eyes over his shoulder.

"Oh I'm not freaking out, I'll tell you why I'm not freaking out, that would require me overreacting and I don't think it's technically possible for me to overreact to my brother in law being kidnapped!" Chuck yells.

"We're doing the best we can, why don't you go upstairs, go to work we'll call you as soon as we have any news," Casey says.

"Look at that, Ellie is making her fiftieth call to Awesome within the hour," Bela says, watching her on the screen.

"In addition to the twenty that she's made to me already today, she's losing it! What am I supposed to tell her!"

"Honestly Chuck, I think the best thing that you can do is to just calm down," Sarah says, Bela resting a hand on his arm at this.

"Here's a little tip, if you really want someone to calm down, never tell them to calm down because it doesn't work, they don't calm down!" Bela snaps before sighing. "I'm sorry, you're right, I'm sorry."

She smiles at Casey as he glares at her, the phone resting against his ear.

"You know what, we're gonna go to work, and you guys call us the absolute second that you hear anything about Devon," she says, pushing Chuck up the stairs.

* * *

"Bela!" Lester yells, running up to her with Jeff. "We need those big-I mean _that_, that big brea-brain of yours."

"That was subtle," Chuck says, Bela rolling her eyes at him.

"What?" she asks, turning back them.

"Jeff is dead wrong about something."

"Well that's kind of his default setting is it not?" she deadpans, crossing her arms.

"Excuse me ma'am, I understand you're having a big sale on HD TVs," a woman says, tapping Bela on the shoulder.

"Ma'am?" she whispers to Chuck before turning to her. "Uh, yes we are, Lester or Jeff here could actually-Chuck, Sarah's here."

He looks up, the two making their way over to her.

"Hey! Young lady, you even listening!" the women yells, following Bela before yelling at her in Thai.

Chuck pushes Bela ahead before flashing as he turns around angrily.

"My brother in law was just captured by evil people!" she yells back in Thai. "If you don't get away from me right now it is possible that I might hurt you!"

"Excuse me, I'm so sorry, that's not what I meant to say!" Chuck calls after her before slowly turning to Bela. "What is wrong with me?"

She lets out a breath, shaking her head.

"Guys, not a good time," he warns as Jeff and Lester return.

"Impressive, now if Jean Claude Van Damme and Steven Seagal got into a fight, who do you think would win?" Lester asks.

"This is your big question?" Bela asks.

"Bear in mind, that Master Seagal's fighting style choice is aikido, like so," he says, demonstrating. "I'm just a cook. I'm a lonely cook. Whisk... Phisk! C'mon! C'mon I'm not gonna hurt ya. What you got? What you got?"

She flashes on fighting techniques before kicking Lester in the head, knocking him to the ground.

"Boom, boom, pow!" Jeff yells, kneeling beside Lester.

"Oh-ow!" Chuck says, quickly pulling her away and over to Sarah.

"I think he'll be alright, but we have to get the two of you out of here," she says, leading them to the door. "Listen, we think we know who has Awesome. The last patient that he saw at the hospital was a Ring operative."

"What?" Chuck asks, turning around. "Sarah, the Ring? Oh my god, this is all my fault! I'm the one who got him involved in all of this; they're probably torturing him as we speak!"

"There is no reason to think that," she says.

"Yeah you're right, there are hundreds of other nightmare scenarios far worse," he says.

"Uh, Chuck," Bela says, staring behind him.

"No, don't you understand? I'm responsible for this, I killed Captain Awesome!" he yells as he turns around to see Devon behind him before pulling him into a hug. "Oh my god, you're back, thank god, you're back. This is great, this is very good news, are you okay? Tell me you're okay!"

"Guys, they think I'm a spy," he says. "I'm in trouble here; they think I'm one of you."

* * *

"Bela," Casey says, pulling her away from the others as they take a seat at the table, waiting for General Beckman to call. "What the hell happened up there, you flashed? You weren't even in danger, you didn't-you can't do that."

"I can't control it," she pouts, staring up at him with wide eyes.

"Don't look at me like that, this is serious," he says.

"I'm sorry, okay," she sighs, crossing her arms as she leans against the wall. "Chuck's my family, so are Ellie and Devon. He was kidnapped because of _us_, he-"

"Is sitting right over there," Casey says, pulling her closer. "He's safe, Bells."

"For now," she mumbles, smiling lightly as he kisses her. They pull apart as Beckman appears on the screen, both quickly taking a seat.

"From what he has told us, we can conclude that the woman Devon was with is Sydney Prince, the head of a Ring cell in Los Angeles," she explains. "She has tried to recruit several of our agents."

"She knows everything about me, Chuck," Devon says. "Ellie, too."

"Everything except who the real spy in the family is," Sarah says.

"Well that's an understandable mistake," Casey shrugs. "One of them looks like a spy, and the other one looks... like Chuck."

"Casey," Bela warns.

"She gave me this," Devon says, holding up something. "Told me she'd contact me with instructions."

"It's a Ring communication device, General," Chuck says.

"Exactly, it works off a closed network," she adds. "But the NSA has recently developed new technology to crack it; now we can put it into use."

"Alright! Fantastic news, sounds like a plan," Chuck says, standing. "I'm gonna get Awesome back to my sister before she has an aneurism."

"You can't take him home just yet, Chuck," Beckman says. "We still need to talk about how we're going to use Devon."

"Excuse me, what?" Bela asks, joining Chuck.

"No, no, no, no one's using Devon, there'll be no using of him anymore," he says, the two pushing Devon towards the stairs. "Okay, no more fun spy games for him _forever_."

"Using Devon is our best option," Beckman says. "Sydney won't go to her superiors with his identity until she definitively knows whether she has turned him or burned him."

"When Sydney contacts him he'll do what she says, just long enough for us to track her, find her, bring her in," Casey says.

"You mean I have to do what she says?" Devon asks.

"No, you don't," Bela says, resting a hand on his arm.

"No, he doesn't," Chuck agrees. "This is my family we're talking about here, c'mon."

"It's the only way to keep him safe," Sarah says. "Devon, we'll be with you every step of the way."

"If you tell me you can get me through this, I trust you," Devon says, turning to Chuck.

"I will, Devon," he says. "I promise."

* * *

"I'm glad you came home now instead of later," Bela says, watching Casey lock the car.

"You are, huh?" he smirks, pinning her hips against the vehicle as he rests his lips against her neck.

She grins as she quickly slips a hand into his pants, feeling the vibration against her throat as he groans.

"Inside, now," he says, pulling away and pushing her hurriedly into the courtyard.

"Hey, guys," she says, Ellie glancing at Casey in disgust before taking Bela's hand, pulling her away.

"If you ever need to talk about it, I'm here," she says, pulling her into a hug.

"Uh, okay..." Bela says, confused.

"Let's go inside, Devon," she says, leaving the three in the courtyard.

"What... was that about?" Bela asks slowly.

"Nothing," Chuck says quickly, walking away.

* * *

"I can't believe the Ring thinks Awesome's a spy!" Chuck says, pacing Casey and Bela's living room. "This is crazy, this is crazy! When do you think she's gonna call? What do you think she's gonna say? What do you think we do when she calls?"

"Guys, the important thing is Devon will be looking to you both as his handlers and you need to remember what it felt like to be scared and new to this," Sarah says.

"Yeah like he'll ever forget that," Casey says. "Look at it this way, in this mission Devon is you and you're Sarah, so be her."

"Who be her? We be her? Both of us?" Bela asks, staring at him confused before frowning at the look he gives her. "Never mind. Maybe Sydney will never call?"

"Guys, guys are you in there?" Devon calls, urgently knocking on the door.

"She called," he says, staring at them.

"What's that?" Chuck asks, nodding at the bag in his hands.

"Found it on my front step, it's from Sydney, I gotta open it right away, she's gonna call in about five minutes," he says, Casey pulling him inside.

"What do you think is in there?" Devon asks, pulling a plastic container out of the bag.

Casey and Sarah exchange looks as the Ring phone sounds.

"It's okay, answer it," Chuck says.

"Hello?" Devon says.

"From now on Devon, I will speak to you through the earpiece included in the package, and you will speak to me through the watch we sent," Sydney says. "Now put in the earpiece and put on the watch."

"Par for the course, just do what she says," Chuck whispers.

"Okay, putting in the earpiece now," he says.

"Now we can track you on our own GPS network," she says.

"It's fine, standard operating procedure," Bela nods, glancing at Chuck.

"Be at the Crystal Towers downtown in one hour, come alone," she says. "Oh and Devon, the earpiece is also an explosive device, remove it or deviate from my instructions in any way and I will detonate it ruining that lovely face of yours."

"Okay well that is not standard," Chuck says, Bela shaking her head slowly. "At all."

* * *

"Good luck," Sarah says, Chuck and Bela jumping out of the van.

"Guys, where are you?" Devon asks.

"We're on our way, buddy," he says, Bela and him running into the building.

"There he is," Bela whispers, the two crouching down near the stairs as they watch a guard confront Devon. "C'mon."

The two run across the floor, reaching the security desk as Bela pulls a gun from her jeans.

"Bells!" Chuck hisses and she rolls her eyes at him.

"It's a tranq gun," she says, aiming at the guard before firing.

"Bela!" Devon yells, the guard falling to the floor. "You killed Julius!"

"Oh my god guys, it's a _tranq gun_!" she yells, throwing her arms out and accidentally tranqing the guard again. "Whoops.."  
"Alright, he's gonna be fine, come on," Chuck says after taking Julius's security tag.

The three run up the stairs, using the tag to access the elevators.

"So what do you think is up there?" Devon asks. "Something pretty gnarly huh?"

"It's best not to speculate," Bela says, reloading the tranq gun. "I mean nine times out of ten, well seven, you get yourself all worked up over nothing."

Devon nods as the doors slide open.

"See, nothing to worry about," Chuck says as they step out. They make their way down the hallway, stopping as they come across three guards.

"Hey, you're not allowed up here!" they yell, Chuck and Bela flashing before firing at the three.

Devon looks at the three on the ground then back to the others.

"Look out," Bela says, firing over Devon's shoulder as more guards approach.

"You guys are incredible, is that your spy training?" he asks.

"Duck hunt, Nintendo," Chuck says, Bela grinning as she shoves the gun back in her jeans.

"Devon?"

"Yes, Sydney," he says.

"Good, you're alive," she says. "Down the hall to your left is an unmarked door, the lock opens via retina scan; cut out one of the guards eyes and use it to open the door."

"What?" Chuck asks, staring at him.

"We gotta cut out one of these guy's eyes for a scan," he says. "I took an oath bro; I can't cut out a man's eye!"

"I got a better idea," Chuck says, walking over to one of the men. "Help me get him up."

They drag him towards the door, struggling to hold him up.

"Geez this guy's heavy!" Devon grunts.

"Bad guys don't count carbs, buddy," Chuck says, Bela lifting the man's eyelid as it scans.

They lay him back down on the floor before entering the room.

"Uh... Chuck," Bela says slowly, glancing at the floor. He stares at it confused as he contacts the others.

"Sarah we have reached the twelfth floor but what the heck is going on this is a CIA facility," he says into his watch getting no response. "Sarah, hello?"

"Casey?" Bela says into hers. "Casey are you there?"

"Nothing," Chuck says.

"Excellent work, Devon, you're almost finished," Sydney says through his earpiece. "There's a man in the office at the end of the hall."

"Guys, Sydney says there's a man in the office at the end of the wall," he says.

"Find him, and kill him," she says.

"Guys!" he yells, the two stopping. "She wants me to fins him and kill him!"

"Nobody's going to kill anybody, okay?" Chuck says. "Just calm down and stay close."

The slowly move down the hallway, Bela cautiously pushing the door open. She gestures at Devon to go back down the hallway before moving so Chuck could see the man in the room, not noticing them yet.

"Excuse me sir? Excuse me, I know this is a little awkward but don't move," she says. "But also don't be afraid; my name is-"

"Bela," the man says, turning around. "Bela Tiernan and Chuck Bartowski, I know."

"H-how do you know that?" Chuck asks.

"I know things, lots of things, about the two of you, about them," he says.

"What do you know about the Ring? What are they doing here? What do they want? Why do they need Devon?" Chuck asks frantically.

"They don't need anything, they already have everything, simple as that," he says, closing the laptop on the desk. "Now Sydney will be here any minute, we've gotta do this."

"Sydney's coming here? You know she wants us to kill you right? But don't worry, we're not gonna do that," Chuck continues. "However, we do need a plan."

"I've got one," he says, taking out a gun. "You're gonna kill me."

Bela looks down as the gun is pressed into her hand.

"What? No! No, no, no, no, no," she protests. "I don't kill people..."

"Shoot me, here," he says, pointing just under his shoulder. "Try to be precise."

"Are you listening to anything she's saying right now?" Chuck asks. "We don't kill people, therefore we don't shoot them, maybe with a tranq gun we'll tranq anybody you like but we-mainly me-hate gun guns."

"Listen, if one of you doesn't kill me now you're all as good as dead."

"Well I'm not gonna do it!" Bela says, holding the gun out to him.

"Bela!" he growls, pulling her hand with the gun to his chest. "I have to die, _now_! The Ring knows too much, there's no other way! So just do it, shoot me!"

Bela stares into his eyes before nodding, taking a deep breath.

"Afterward, put the gun in Devon's hands then hide," he says before handing her an envelope. "When she leaves, open this."

"Truth is, I hate guns too," he says, bracing himself.

"Who are you?" Chuck asks, watching as Bela pulls the trigger.

"Bela!" Devon yells, running into the room. "Chuck why didn't you stop her!"

"Devon you don't understand-"

"He's dead," he says before taking the gun from her hand. "Bela this is _not_ a tranq gun!"

She sighs, the three freezing as they hear movement down the hallway.

"Remember, _you_ shot him!" Bela says, Chuck and her quickly hiding as Sydney walks in.

She stares at the body before glancing around the room.

"Gun," she says, holding a hand out to Devon. She takes it from him before kneeling next to the man on the floor. "Take off the watch."

"Well done," she says, taking it as she deactivates the earpiece. "Cute and talented, what a catch. Lose the body, keep the phone. We'll be in touch."

"Welcome to the Ring," she says, leaving him standing there.

"Guys, what the hell is going on right now?" Devon asks, the two clambering to their feet as Bela opens the envelope.

"Med kit in desk, the pill was amiodarone. Save me," she says, reading the note.

"Amiodarone," Devon nods. "Amiodarone stops your heart, only momentarily though. If it's a clean shot I think I can save him."

Chuck tosses him the kit, the two watching Devon work.

"Oh thank god," Bela says, letting out a breath as the man sits up.

"To answer your question, my name is Shaw," he says.

* * *

"I would like to introduce you all to CIA special agent Daniel Shaw," Beckman says. "For the last five years he has worked on nothing but taking out the Ring. From this point on Agent Shaw has total command authority on anything to do with the Ring."

"Really, this guy?" Casey grunts. "I've got back issues of _Guns and Ammo_ older than he is."

"Be that as it may, you should all know that I've been fully briefed on the details of the intersect," Shaw says, the others exchanging looks of disbelief. "That's right, I know everything. Thank you very much General, I can take it from here."

"Colonel, Walker, Chuck, Bela, you're in good hands," she says. "Good luck."

"Here's an overview of current Ring intel," he says, handing them folders.

"Great, welcome to the team, but Sydney is still out there which means my brother in law's still in danger," Chuck says.

"Not for long, as you've seen the Ring operates through a network of decentralised cells," Shaw explains. "We catch Sydney, there's a good chance we can contain Devon's identity. He's a bonafide mole in their operation, in order to save him we have to use him."

"What? No, no way, I've already been over this, Devon is out of the spy business for good."

"Chuck, as long as Sydney is alive Devon is a marked man," Sarah says.

"She's right, Chuck," Casey says, flipping through the folder.

"I agree with Chuck," Bela says, ignoring Casey's snort. "Explain the risks to him!"

"The risks are greater for Devon if we don't use him, Sydney would sooner kill him than let him go," Sarah says.

"Well I don't care, he's not a spy," Chuck says.

"Well, then I guess the question is do either of you have a better plan?" Shaw asks.

* * *

"Did you get it?" Bela asks, glancing up at Chuck as he joins her out the back of the Buy More.

He places the Ring communication device in front of her before taking a seat.

"Let's get to work, then," she says, starting to unscrew it as Morgan joins them.

"Chuck you in there? Oh, there you guys are," he says. "Been looking all over for you. Uh, can I talk to you for a second? Cuz I'm in a crisis."

"Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, so are we," Chuck says, watching Bela work.

"Yeah, of course you are. My team, still working. An assistant manager's dream," he says proud.

"On to my nightmare. Uh... Lester turned the cage into a fight club and attached a battery to the fence so that he could shock people," he says, sniffing. "You smell that? That's burnt human hair guys. I told him to stop and no one will listen to me. Okay, no one will listen to anything that I have to say. My job is on the line here."

"Yeah," Bela says, leaning her head on her hand as she waits for the computer to rebuild the sector. "Well it, it sounds like you need a plan."

"Exactly, that's exactly what I need," he says. "I-I was thinking, I was like you know I probably need a plan here, but what plan, you know?"

The two exchange looks as the device is ready to use.

"You know, you know, sometimes what I like to do is, is uh open up a problem and really examine it, find its weak points and then not be afraid to just attack it. Head on."

"Wow... wow! That's some powerful stuff," Morgan says. "Yeah I think that will work. Thanks guys."

"Yeah buddy," Chuck nods.

"See you later," Bela smiles, watching him leave. "Alright let's do this."

She scoots over a bit, letting Chuck activate the device.

"How did you open this channel?" Sydney asks, confused. "Who is this?"

"I'm the spy who killed Agent Shaw," Chuck says.

"This is not Devon Woodcomb."

"Yeah well you've been dealing with the wrong man," he continues. "Devon was a decoy. I'm the one who put that bullet through Agent Shaw's chest last night. I'm the spy that you're looking for and I am in charge of this mission now."

* * *

"Alright, I'm gonna call Casey," Bela says as Chuck joins her at the nerd Herd desk.

"He'll be pissed, I'm sure," he says.

"At least we'll have back up," she shrugs, Casey answering as she puts the phone on speaker. "Hey, hey uh... it's me. Don't be mad, but Chuck and me may or may not have called Sydney on the Ring phone so she would track us here to the Buy More. It's a trap... our trap."

"You told Sydney to go to the Buy More?" he asks.

"Oh my god it worked, they're here," Chuck says over her shoulder. "Okay grab Sarah and get up here so we can take them out."

"Not very smart," Shaw says, having taken the phone from Casey. "This is not how I do business. You start things on your own, you better be prepared to finish them, on your own. Good luck."

"He hung up on us," she says, staring down at her phone.

They look up as Sydney's men begin breaking into the store.

"This is not part of the plan!" she says, the two ducking behind the desk. "Oh this is very, very bad."

"Here," she says, handing him the intercom. "Work your magic."

"Hello Sydney, welcome to the Burbank Buy More," he says slowly. "Please proceed directly to the home theatre room."

"Find him," she says, her men moving around the store.

"I would suggest the best way of getting to the home theatre room is through the mp3 slash ink and toner aisle, but beware...you break it, you buy it," he says, Bela grabbing his arm as one of Sydney's men stands in front of them.

"Hello sir. Store's closed at the moment but if you want to come back in the morning, we'll be open around ten o' clock..."

He drops the intercom as they're both pulled to their feet.

"Finally we meet...in an electronics store, with your girlfriend?" Sydney says. "Which is different. No matter. When we last chatted you mentioned a certain Agent Shaw."

"That's right, because I am the one who ended Agent Shaw's life," Chuck says, Bela rolling her eyes. "Not Devon Woodcomb, he was just a patsy."

"You took out Shaw.. Mr. Buy More?"

"In a nutshell. That's kinda what happened."

"Well then, if that's true, you won't have any problem with Glenn and Ian here," she says.

Bela watches wide eyed as the two men approach Chuck, attempting to move towards them before being roughly pulled back.

"Glenn _and_ Ian? Sure. Well you should know Glenn and Ian - Ian and Glenn, that if you take one more step, I will drop you. Flash...flash…" he says before receiving a hit to the jaw. "Okay! Now I'm angry! I'm angry, and in a great deal of pain. Oh...ohhh...ohhh...woooooaaahhhhhh..."

Bela kicks at the man holding her, catching him off guard as he releases her before Chuck takes her hand, the two running to the back of the store.

"Get them," Sydney says, annoyed.

"This plan sucks," Bela whispers, the two hiding in the storage cage.

"Can you reach that car battery?" Chuck asks, Bela realising his plan.

She nods, crawling forward and connecting the leads as one of Sydney's men touches the handle to the cage.

She gasps, jumping back as it zaps her as well as the man, who accidentally shoots another of Sydney's men in the process.

"Are you okay?" he asks as she catches her breath, her body trembling beside him.

He looks up as Sarah kicks the gun out of Sydney's hand.

"Wait here," he says, hesitating as Bela curls up on her side on the floor.

"I'm fine," she whispers, nodding for him to go.

She hears footsteps, slowly pulling herself up to rest on her knees.

"Bela!" Casey yells, hearing her groan in response.

"Stay with her, I'll find Chuck," Sarah says, running out onto the loading dock as Casey locates Bela.

"What happened?" he asks.

"Just a small electric shock," she says, smiling slightly before wincing as he takes her hand to pull her up.

"You've got a burn, sweetheart," he says, wrapping an arm securely around her waist.

"It's fine," she shrugs. "I'm fine, don't worry."

"Bells are you okay?" Chuck asks, Sarah and him joining them.

"Her hand is burnt, taking her to castle," Casey says, ignoring Shaw standing in the doorway.

* * *

"I suppose congratulations are in order," Shaw says, addressing the group back at castle. "Devon's identity has been contained."

"We got lucky this time Shaw," Casey growls, bandaging up Bela's hand.

"Yeah, and risked my family doing it," Chuck adds. "There's something you need to know about me Shaw. There's nothing in my life that I care about more than my friends and my family. Of course I don't expect you to understand that being the spy that you are, I'm sure you don't care about anybody."

"Families and friends make us vulnerable. Make us, unable to pull the trigger. And that puts everyone in even greater danger. Just ask your partner here. She'll tell you the same thing."

"Sometimes it helps to know that you've got something to lose," Sarah says, Shaw glaring at her before leaving.

"How're you feeling now?" Chuck asks as he stands, moving next to Bela as Casey finishes his work on her hand.

"It's fine, really," she says, shrugging. "It's just a scald, I don't even need this."

"You're keeping it on," Casey says.

"But we have dinner tonight with everyone," she frowns. "What am I meant to tell them?"

"You're a clumsy girl, I'm sure it won't come as much of a surprise," Casey smirks, dodging her hand as she attempts to hit him.

"See you tonight," Chuck smiles, giving her a quick hug.

She nods, watching as he makes his way up the stairs before turning to Casey.

"Right sweetheart, let's go," he says, helping her to her feet.

"I'm not a damn invalid," she complains, annoyed at his coddling.

"No, but you're my wife and you keep scaring the hell out of me by doing these stupid things," he whispers in her ear.

"I'm a spy, I can't help it," she teases, smiling as he pulls her towards the stairs.

* * *

A/N: So next chapter instead of writing about Chuck's first solo mission, it'll be centred on Bela's. Please review!


	42. Chuck vs First Class

A/N: So I randomly decided to read through my reviews, and realised I'd never replied to any (not too sure how but anyway...). There was one question that I probably should have answered many, many chapters ago. Is there anyone that I've based the character of Bela on. I usually like the reader to make up their own visual, as I tend to do that when I read other stories, but I thought I'd let you know so you can compare or what have you. Jennifer Carpenter is pretty much the Bela that's in my head, more so her portrayal of Deborah Morgan in the series Dexter. Hope this doesn't change anyone's visual that they already have!

Anyway I've changed this one a bit, focusing on Bela's first solo mission instead of Chuck's. Hope you like it, please review!

* * *

"Casey, I wanna ask you about a Beast Master," Bela says, rushing up to him with Chuck.

"Really?" he asks confused.

"No, not really," she deadpans.

"Hey, have we got any more info on you know who, down in castle?" Chuck asks.

"Shaw?"

"Yeah, yeah," he nods. "Shaw."

"Busy here, guys; why don't you talk to him yourselves? He's living there."

"Living there? In Castle?" Bela asks. "What? What? What's going on? Is he really in charge of our team?"

"Shaw's a special agent for the CIA. He can do pretty much what he wants." Casey says.

"Even more special than us?" Bela asks, smiling up at him sweetly.

"It gets worse," he growls. "Whenever a special agent takes over an operation, they conduct a review. Sarah's in there with him right now."

"What do you think they're talking about?" Chuck asks.

"About the two of you, of course," he says.

"Wait, the review's about us?" Bela asks, glancing at Chuck. "Shouldn't Shaw be asking us about us?"

"Where's the fun in that?" Casey scoffs.

"Look, we're never going to be able to escape this… ridiculous cover, if Shaw thinks we're some moron civilians who just got unlucky enough to get a computer dumped in their heads," Chuck says, noticing Casey staring at something behind him. "What?"

"Okay, here we go. Here we go," Morgan says, rolling over to the three.

"Morgan, did you get glued to a chair?" Bela asks.

"Yes, yes I did, okay," he sighs. "The whole store is coming after me, guys. Lester went mute and refuses to talk to me."

"Maybe because you fired him?" she suggests.

"I don't know, they've teamed up and formed like an evil cabal of tricksters," Morgan says. "I haven't had an untainted cup of coffee in three days. I need my free coffee, guys."

"You know you give me five days running this popsicle stand, we'd be ready," Casey says, Bela rolling her eyes at him.

"Ready for what?"

"The Russians," Chuck jokes, turning as Casey's phone sounds.

"Hey, hey, hey…" he says, Bela and him following Casey as he starts to leave.

"Is, is that Shaw?" Bela asks, glancing at his phone.

"We're integral members of this team, okay," Chuck says. "Our voices should be heard."

"Well your pre-pubescent little girl screams are going to be duly noted," he says. "Actually, right now, he wants to see you both."

* * *

"Look Shaw, I'm quite certain that things have been said about us or our abilities as spies and while I can see that there are more traditional or professional spies out there…"

"Chuck…" Shaw interrupts. "This is my meeting."

"Right, sorry. Please, continue."

"I think we can all agree that this team has been dysfunctional the last two years, and I think I know what the problem is," Shaw says before nodding at Sarah and Casey. "The problem is them."

"What?" Sarah asks confused. "What does that mean?"

"Means he's a moron," Casey says, slicing up an apple.

"They coddle you," Shaw continues. "You both could be great spies, but they won't let you evolve."

"Really?" Bela asks, Chuck quickly nudging her under the table. "I mean, yes! Yes, really! He's right!"

"Let us be spies," Chuck agrees. "Let us out of the car. We're ready."

"No. Shaw? They're not."

"Duly noted, and ignored," he says, turning to Chuck and Bela.

"Chuck. You are going on your first solo mission. Undercover, in Paris. While Bela you will be going undercover as well, just a little closer to home. Are you ready?"

Chuck and Bela exchange looks, both grinning as they turn to Shaw.

"Absolutely," the say in unison.

* * *

"Your target is Neil Stearman," Shaw says, handing her a file.

She opens it, flashing on the photo before nodding.

"What do you want me to do?" she asks.

"The man you flashed on, he's a ring agent," he explains. "He will be moving a CIA crypto key out of Los Angeles within the next 48 hours."

"So you want me to stop him…?"

"I want you to secure the key," he says. "Using any means necessary."

"Excuse me, I'll be doing what now?" she asks, setting the folder on the table.

"Bela you can do this, you've been on missions far more demanding than this one," he says. "You're to go to the hotel he is staying at, and like I said, using any means necessary, get the key."

"So shoot him or…" she starts, nodding at the look on his face. "I guess that explains why I got this mission instead of Chuck..."

"You've done this before, when you seduced Cole Barker," he says, continuing at her confused look. "I read your file."

"Okay," she says, nodding. "I'm ready."

* * *

"Hey, you're leaving?" Bela asks, catching Chuck on his way out.

"Yeah," he nods, his bag slung over his shoulder as he smiles. "Have to admit, I'm a little nervous Bells."

"You'll be fine, and hey, get to go to Paris," she grins. "I'm jealous."

"I heard," he says, referring to her mission. "I don't think they should be using you like that."

"It's just a mission, Chuck, we both know I've done more for less," she shrugs, Chuck shaking his head at her.

"So… call me when you land, alright?" she smiles, pulling him into a hug.

His arms hold her tight before they both step back.

"Good luck," he says and she nods.

"Same to you," she says, watching him leave.

* * *

"Got everything?" Shaw asks, making his way over to Bela.

"Everything I could possibly need to seduce this guy," she says, pulling her coat tighter around herself before muttering. "Which isn't much."

"Here," he says, handing her a gun.

She stares down at it in disbelief.

"In case things don't go according to plan," he adds.

"I really don't think this is a good idea," Sarah says, Casey jogging down the stairs.

"I agree, they're not ready for solo missions," he says, moving to stand next to Bela.

"They're ready," Shaw says, watching her slip the gun into her purse. "You leave in ten."

She nods, watching as he leaves the room.

"I think Chuck got the better mission," she jokes, glancing up at the two.

Sarah shakes her head, making her way up the stairs while Casey spins her around to face him.

"What are you wearing?" he asks, his voice strained.

She looks down at the coat before back up at him.

"Nothing?" she smiles, sighing as he undoes the buttons.

"Jesus, Bela," he growls, shaking his head at the skin tight dress she was wearing.

"I have to seduce him," she shrugs, doing the coat back up before picking up her purse. "I need to go."

She pauses, slipping something into his hand.

"I'm not happy about this," he mutters, staring down at her wedding ring in his hand.

"Can't say I'm that thrilled about it either," she smirks, nodding at his hand. "Look after that for me; I _will_ want it back."

He nods, sighing as he watches her.

"Just don't be stupid," he says, moving closer.

She looks up as Shaw walks in, folding his arms across his chest.

"It's time," he says and she nods, turning back to Casey.

"See you later," she smiles, following Shaw out the back.

* * *

Bela walks into the hotel, fussing about her dress before stopping herself, taking a deep breath.

She spots Stearman at the bar, flashing on him once again as she shakes her head, taking a seat a few spots down from him.

"Double vodka, lime and soda," she orders, and he glances at her as she takes off her coat, setting it on the back of her seat.

"Thank you," she says as the drink is placed in front of her.

"Rough day?" Stearman asks, nodding at her order.

She smiles, turning to him.

"You could say that," she says, taking a sip.

"Would you like to talk about it?" he offers, turning in his seat to face her.

"Not really," she says, shaking her head slightly.

"Would you like to be left alone?" he asks, waiting for her response.

She smiles, setting her drink down.

"Not really," she smirks, her eyes meeting his as he grins at her answer. He picks up his drink, moving to the seat beside her.

"Ah, you have a story," he says, watching her play with the straw in her drink.

"I don't have a story, I'm just a girl at a bar," she says coyly.

He laughs, nodding his head.

"Well I'm just a guy at a bar," he says, watching as she smiles up at him. "Who would like to pay for your drink."

"Oh, you don't have to-"

"I want to," he smiles, interrupting her as he holds out his hand for her to shake. "I'm Neil."

"Bela," she smiles, her hand gripping his.

"Maybe we should take this upstairs," he suggests, and she downs the rest of her drink before standing.

He smiles, leaving a few notes on the bar before joining her.

* * *

"Hey, it's me," Casey says, Sarah answering her phone as she paces around castle anxiously. "Any updates on them?"

"Chuck's doing fine," she says, knowing that wasn't what he wanted to hear.

She sighs, turning away from Shaw.

"We haven't heard from Bela."

He growls, shaking his head.

"She shouldn't have gone, she wasn't ready," he hisses.

"She's going to be fine, Casey," she says, trying to reassure herself as well. "She can handle herself."

"That's what I'm worried about," he says, frowning as he hangs up.

* * *

"Oh!" Bela gasps, Neil pulling her dress off and tossing it aside. "You're quick."

"It's a skill," he grins, his lips meeting hers again as they stumble towards the couch.

"Nice," he says, running a hand along the lines of her tattoo.

She smiles, her hips resting against his as she dips her head to his again.

She moans as his hands rest on her hips, playing with the edge of her underwear.

She tries to get her mind off of Casey, pulling back briefly.

"Everything alright?" he asks, catching his breath.

"Fine," she nods, smiling. "I'm just going to freshen up a little."

"I'll order us something to drink?" he suggests as she stands.

"Great," she smiles, grabbing her purse before making her way to the bathroom.

She locks the door, quickly taking out her phone before dialling castle, ignoring the missed calls from Casey.

"Bela," Shaw answers. "Have you located the target?"

"I'm in his hotel room," she says, staring at herself in the mirror.

"Good job," he says. "Now just locate the key and you're done."

"Once I deal with him," she frowns, glancing at the gun in her purse.

"Stay calm, you've got this," Sarah interrupts. "You can do this Bela, you'll be fine."

Shaw ends the call, Bela turning the phone off before zipping up the purse. She splashes water on her face, staring at her reflexion once more before making her way back out.

"Drink?" Neil asks, holding out a glass to her. "Champagne."

"Thank you," she smiles, setting her purse down as she takes the glass.

He sets his on the table, taking off his jacket as she flips open the jewel on her ring, tipping the contents into his drink before he takes a seat beside her again.

She smiles, looking down as he leans towards her.

She jumps as his hand flies out towards her.

"Who are you," he growls, his fingers now tangling in her hair and pulling her head roughly to the side.

"What do you mean?" she lies, feigning innocence.

"I heard you on the phone, saw what you did to my drink," he continues, her chest tightening. "You're not who you say you are."

He releases her, Bela quickly glancing around the room for her purse. He notices and reaches it before she does.

"Well, this is interesting," he says, taking the gun from inside before discarding the bag on the floor.

"That's not mine…" she says, slowly backing away.

He closes the small distance between them, pressing the gun against her stomach.

"Time to start talking," he says. "And spare me the lies."

She takes a shaky breath, flashing on fighting techniques before nodding.

"Okay."

He relaxes for a second, giving Bela enough time to knock the gun from his grip.

She falls to the floor, scrambling towards it before he pulls her back.

She feels his fist connect with her jaw, stars shooting across her eyes as she regains her senses in time to dodge his next hit.

He growls, reaching for something and she cringes as she feels something sharp slice through her side.

"Why do _you_ have a knife!" she gasps, scrambling away from him.

"Honey, you're not the first spy I've dealt with," he says, her eyes widening as he lunges at her. "And you _won't_ be the last!"

She manages to knock the knife away, earning an elbow in the ribs as he pushes her back into the carpet.

"I thought we were gonna have some fun," he says, and she screws her face up as his hand runs down her side, making sure to press hard against the knife wound. "But I guess this will have to do."

She gasps as he strikes her face again, one of her hands coming free as she slides it across the carpet.

She feels the gun, pulling it to her side as she continues to struggle against him.

"Please," she begs, shaking her head as her eyes stare into his.

"Spies don't say please," he spits, Bela taking a shaky breath before pulling the trigger.

She turns her head as he falls on top of her, cringing as she feels his blood making contact with her skin.

She pushes him off of her, hesitating before searching through his pockets and sighing in relief as she takes out the key.

* * *

"This is crazy, she should have checked in again by now!" Casey yells, shrugging off the hand that Sarah places on his arm.

"You need to let her do her job," Shaw says, not looking up from his work. "She's never going to get the confidence she needs if you don't let her work on her own."

"You really think this mission is going to get her confidence right up there?" he scoffs.

"Casey," Sarah interrupts, shaking her head at him.

He sighs, both of them turning as the phone rings. Shaw answers it before either can make a move to grab it.

"Bela," he says, listening to her breathing for a few moments. "Bela, are you there?"

"It's done," she says into the phone.

"Good work," he says, ignoring the eyes on his back. "Do you need a clean-up team?"

She looks around the room, her eyes falling on the body to her right.

"Yeah," she nods.

"We'll take care of it, stay until they arrive, they'll have a car waiting to bring you back to castle," he says.

She ends the call, the phone falling from her fingers to the floor as she lets out a breath.

She looks down at the blood covering her, quickly finding her coat and wrapping it around herself.

* * *

Bela lets out a breath as the door to the car swings open, surprise crossing her face as she looks up to see Shaw standing there alone.

His eyes widen briefly at the sight of her before he clears his throat.

She slowly climbs out, the pain in her side increasing with each movement she made.

He notices her discomfort, quickly slamming the door shut.

She stares up at him, saying nothing as he rests a hand on her back, guiding her into castle.

"Take a seat," he says, the others turning at the sound of his voice.

"Bela!" Sarah gasps, staring at the other woman in shock.

Casey tenses his jaw, his chest tightening as he sees the state she's in.

"Are you alright, my God your eye-?" she asks, taking a seat next to her.

Shaw moves to her side, Bela reaching into her pocket before holding out her hand to him.

"Your first solo mission and your first kill?" he says, taking the key from her. "I'm impressed, Bela. You didn't call for any assistance at all."

"That may have been a mistake," Casey growls, clenching his fists.

"I have to agree, look at her," Sarah says, frowning at Bela's appearance.

"She got the job done, it's over," Shaw says.

"Like hell it is, Bela what happened?" he asks.

She shakes her head, staring blankly in front of her.

"I don't want to talk about it," she deadpans, glancing at Shaw as she stands.

"You're gonna tell me what the hell happened," Casey growls, pulling her away. "_Now."_

"That's classified," Shaw says. "Bela did her job, the mission was a success."

"What about Chuck?" Bela asks, cutting Casey off before he could speak.

"Also a success, he should be arriving in a few hours," Shaw says and she nods.

"Go get yourself cleaned up, put some ice on that eye, we'll debrief on Chuck's return," he adds.

She nods again, making her way to the bathroom as the others follow.

"Bela, you're not alright," Sarah says, Casey standing in the doorway.

"I just want to have a shower," she sighs, unbuttoning the coat.

"Jesus," Casey says, staring at the blood.

She only had on her underwear, Stearman's blood thankfully covering her own.

"Alright," Sarah nods, leaving the two alone.

Bela watches him for a moment before continuing to undress, Casey watching her wince as she does.

"You're hurt," he notes, locking the door as he moves towards her.

"I'll live," she shrugs, regretting that action instantly.

He sighs, shaking his head as he watches her.

"Bells-"

"Casey please just let me shower," she pleads. "I've been covered in another man's blood for the past couple hours and I just need to get it off me!"

He stares at her hesitantly, not sure what to do for her.

"I'll bring you some clothes," he sighs, leaving before she can say anything.

She takes a moment to relock the door before turning on the shower, not bothering to wait for the temperature to regulate before moving under the stream.

She bites her lip as the water hits the cut, her fist hitting the wall as the stinging grows worse.

Watching the blood swirl down the drain combined with the smell pushes her over the edge, and she stumbles out of the shower in time to heave into the toilet.

"God I hope Chuck had a better mission," she whispers to herself.

* * *

"Hey," Sarah says, looking up as Bela walks into the room.

She stands up, grabbing something before walking towards her.

"Here," she says, handing her an ice pack.

"Thanks," Bela says, lightly pressing it against her face before hissing at the contact.

She hears someone inhale sharply behind her, turning to see Casey.

"Bells…" he says, his voice cracking.

He moves towards her, slowly pushing up the clean shirt she was wearing. She hears him curse as he studies the extent of her injuries.

"Oh, Bela," Sarah whispers, having moved to his side. "How did this-"

"Bruised face, a cracked rib or two, and a knife," she says. "He didn't manage to actually stab me, and you should see what happened to him."

She tries to smile and meet their eyes but fails on both accounts.

Sarah disappears before quickly re-joining them.

"Here's the suture kit," she says, handing it to Casey.

"No I'm fine, really!" Bela protests, Casey gently pulling her along to an empty room.

She sighs, reluctantly climbing up onto the cot before lying down on her uninjured side.

"You know this is gonna hurt," he says, pushing her hair out of her face.

"I know," she says, smiling up at him.

"Here," he says, handing her a wooden tongue depressor. She takes it slowly, not understanding. "You bite down on it."

"Oh…" she realises, placing the stick in her mouth as he reaches for the disinfectant.

"I'm not sure this will take effect in time," he says, injecting a local anaesthetic into the wound.

She winces, biting down hard on the stick.

"Well that's not gonna work," he says, taking the broken stick from her before reaching for a towel.

He rolls it up tightly before handing it to her, and she places it in her mouth.

"Ready?" he asks, not waiting for an answer as he slides the suture needle into her side, her eyes sliding shut as she inhales sharply.

"Thanks," Casey says, Bela realising that Sarah had joined them and positioned her arm above her head, giving Casey full access to her side.

Bela groans, her teeth biting down harder on the towel as she balls her hands into fists.

She hears Casey apologising, and a hand that she assumed was Sarah's resting lightly on her head.

Finally she felt the pain lessening, only feeling a tugging at her skin every now and then as Casey finished up and the anaesthetic kicked in.

"Done, sweetheart," he whispers, and she cautiously opens her eyes, staring into his.

"He did a good job," Sarah adds, inspecting his handiwork.

"They do teach us this, Walker," he says, and she rolls her eyes at the two.

"I'll go see if Chuck's arrived," she says, smiling at Bela before leaving.

"How's the pain?" he asks, packing up the kit as she sits up.

"Not too bad," she lies, smirking as he shoves some painkillers into her hand. She stands, pouring some water into a glass before downing them.

She winces at the taste before setting the glass back down, slowly turning to him.

"So the mission didn't go according to plan," she says, answering the question before he had a chance to ask it. "Stearman heard me when I called Shaw, and saw me put something in his drink."

Casey nods, taking a seat on the cot as he watches her.

"He knew I was lying, and he found my gun," she says, clasping her hands together. "He beat me up pretty bad, as you can see. I mean I fought back, I know how to fight, but he was big, so he got a few hits in and had me pinned down until… I somehow grabbed hold of the gun."

She pauses, taking a deep breath before continuing.

"I pulled the trigger, and he was dead," she says, finally breaking down. "And it was horrible, it was horrible."

He quickly wraps his arms around her, holding her shaking body close.

"It's okay," he whispers, his arms holding her tight. "It's okay."

"Hey guys, what's-" Chuck says, stopping in the doorway as he sees the two. "Bells?"

She pulls back from Casey, wiping at her eyes before meeting his across the room.

"Chuck," she says, her voice breaking as he crosses the room, her arms wrapping around his neck as his pull her close.

"What happened?" he asks, looking to Casey for an answer.

"Rough mission," he says, nodding at the bloodied bandages on the cot.

He frowns, bracing himself as Bela slowly pulls back.

"Bells, what happened to your eye?" he asks.

"I ran into someone's fist with it," she jokes, sighing as neither crack a smile. "Jeez, no one can take a joke anymore."

"This isn't funny," Casey says, moving to her side.

"Obviously," she mumbles, looking up as Sarah joins them.

"Shaw's ready for the debrief," she says, smiling lightly at her.

"Excellent," Bela says, grabbing her icepack before moving past the three.

"Casey, what happened?" Chuck asks again, Sarah waiting in the doorway.

"Her cover was blown halfway into the mission, the guy beat her until she could grab her gun and kill him," he says, his voice strained.

"She killed him?" Chuck asks.

"I don't think she had much of a choice, Chuck," Sarah says and he nods.

"Are you guys gonna stop talking about me long enough to come to this debrief?" Bela calls from the hallway, Chuck clearing his throat as he joins her.

* * *

Shaw looks up as the others join him, his eyes staying on Bela.

"How are you feeling?" he asks, watching her carefully take a seat at his side.

"I'm all sewn up," she says, resting the ice pack against her cheek as she glances at the case on the table. "What's that?"

"You want to see if these keys work?" he asks her, Chuck stepping forward.

"I think we'd all like to see," he says, sitting next to Bela as Casey and Sarah move closer.

"What is it, a weapon?" Casey asks as Shaw removes something from the case.

"No, it's a lock box," he says. "It belonged to a spy I had inside the Ring, it's all the intel the agent had."

They watch as he inserts both keys into the box, the top sliding open.

"With this, we might stand a chance," he says, handing Casey the intel. "One of our best didn't die in vain."

Chuck and Bela exchange looks as Shaw removes a small envelope from the box before leaving.

"Bela, what are you-" Chuck starts, watching as she stands, quickly following.

"What's in the envelope Shaw?" she asks as he glances up at her.

He hands it to her, watching as she takes out the wedding ring.

"She was killed by a Ring agent five years ago," he explains. "Her name was Evelyn Shaw. Eve."

She swallows hard as he continues, her thoughts now on Bryce.

"We both made the same mistake Bela; we fell in love with spies."

She sets the ring back in the envelope, placing it on the desk in front of him as he stands.

He stares at her for a moment, hesitating before clearing his throat.

"You should get some rest," he says, reaching out and tilting her head to the side as he inspects the bruising.

"Yeah," she whispers, his hand dropping to his side as she takes a step back. "Bye, Shaw."

* * *

"Are you hungry?" Casey asks, frowning as Bela shakes her head.

"I'm so tired," she whispers, her arm supporting her head as she rests against the counter.

He closes the fridge, moving to her side as he slowly slides up her sweater.

"Your bandage needs changing," he says, carefully pulling it away from her skin.

He hears her sharp intake of breath, his frown growing even more at her discomfort.

"Here," he says after a moment, returning with clean supplies.

She slowly sits up, taking the painkillers from him as he pours her some water.

"Surely you must be tired of taking care of me by now," she mumbles, her voice strained. "I'm the least capable spy ever."

"Bartowski-"

"Has received far less injuries than me," she interrupts, her eyes meeting his. "Obviously I'm doing something very, very wrong."

"Shaw should never have-"

"I'm not just talking about this mission, Casey," she says, interrupting him again. I've been shot, cut, drowned, hell I don't need to remind you of all the bruises… at this rate I'll be dead before-"

"Stop it!" he yells, causing her to jump as he slams his fist down on the bench. "Don't say that."

"You know it's true," she mutters, ignoring him as he finishes taping the bandage down before turning away.

"My job is to protect you," he growls, slowly turning back to her. "And you're sitting here reminding me of all the times I've _failed_ at doing that."

"I didn't mean that-I don't blame you!" she argues, a few tears spilling down her cheeks. "Damn it."

He watches as she tries to fight the tears before relenting, burying her head in her arms as her body begins to shake.

"I'm sorry," he says, and she looks up at him distraught.

"You stop it!" she sobs, glaring at him angrily. "All those times I've been hurt, you were there to save me."

She ignores his grunt as she continues.

"You took care of me when I was shot, every cut I get you sew up, the only time you weren't there for me was when I had the damn flu!"

He moves to her side, his arms pulling her close as she continues to cry.

"Maybe Shaw's right," she says after a moment, and he pulls back confused.

"Chuck and I need to stop relying on Sarah and you all the time," she explains. "We'll never become real spies if we know you're ready to take over the second something goes wrong. You weren't there today, Chuck and I both survived."

"Barely," he mutters before sighing. "It's our job to protect you."

She nods, slowly standing as he rests his hand on her hip.

"And as your husband, it's my job to protect you too," he adds, kissing her forehead.

She smiles, her hand covering his as she yawns.

"Ready for bed?" he asks, guiding her towards the stairs.

"Very," she nods, grinning as he lifts her into his arms. "Jesus, Casey."

"Shut up," he says, a smile playing at his lips as he carries her to bed.

* * *

A/N: So Bela had a pretty rough mission, although Chuck's wasn't a piece of cake either! Next chapter Chuck and Bela get their own asset. Please review!


	43. Chuck vs The Nacho Sampler

A/N: Chuck and Bela finally get an asset or their own, Bela once again having to use certain skills of hers to help with the mission and gain his trust. Please review!

* * *

"Bela!" Ellie calls, walking over as Bela locks up Casey's apartment.

"Hi," she smiles as she turns around. "How are you?"

Ellie hesitates, glancing down at her feet before her eyes meet Bela's.

"Bela..." she starts slowly, taking a deep breath. "I don't know how to say this."

"What's wrong?" she asks, frowning as Ellie struggles to get her words out.

"Your eye..." she starts, taking a deep breath. "Not just that, _all_ the bruises you've had lately... Bela... Is John... is he... has he ever-"

Bela's eyes widen as she realises what Ellie was trying to ask, the corners of her lips twitching as she begins to smile.

"I'm sorry, I don't mean to laugh," Bela says, shaking her head. "I just find this-oh my god, John would _never_, has never..."

She stops, taking a moment to calm herself.

"The man gets upset when he leaves a single bruise on me during sex," she whispers, Ellie blushing at this.

"I'm sorry, Bela," she says, smiling lightly. "It's just that ever since you two have started dating, you've had so many injuries and bruises... I guess I just jumped to conclusions. I'm so sorry."

"It's okay, thank you for looking out for me, it means a lot," she says as she pulls her into a hug. "I guess I'm just getting clumsier, I don't know."

"You should be more careful," Ellie says, frowning at Bela's blackened eye.

"I know," she sighs, shaking her head. "But John and I are great; you don't need to worry about that."

"Well I'm glad," Ellie nods. "It's nice having another married couple around."

Bela smiles at this, her eyes drifting down to the ring on her finger.

* * *

"Hey, where's Shaw?" Bela asks, taking a seat opposite Sarah in castle.

"Off grid on a covert mission," she says, moving one of the many files in front of her.

"Okay..." Bela says, glancing around the room.

She frowns as Sarah remains silent.

"Where are the others?" Bela sighs, spinning her chair around in circles, Sarah slowly looking up at her.

"On their way," she says, pressing a button as Beckman comes up on screen.

"Agent Walker, Miss Tiernan," she greets, Bela continuing her spinning as she glances up at the other woman.

"Agent Tiernan," Bela corrects, a smile breaking free on Sarah's face. "I don't know if you heard but I completed my first solo mish last week."

She gestures to her healing face before continuing.

"Battle wounds and all," she says, Beckman staring down at her unimpressed. "But I bet you've probably been briefed."

"Isabela, cease your spinning," she says, Bela pouting as Casey and Chuck make their way down the stairs.

"Hey, where's Shaw?" Chuck asks, looking around for him.

"It's not your concern where Agent Shaw is," Beckman says.

"He's off grid on a covert mission," Bela whispers before smiling up at the General.

"We've traced a large sum of money from an offshore ring account into a civilian account," Beckman informs them. "I want to know why. What's the money for? The civilian's name is Manoosh Depak. Trained as a Computer Engineer, dropped out of MIT after his freshman year."

"Classic geek tragedy," Casey says, glancing at Chuck. "Sound familiar?"

"We sent a virus that destroyed the cpu of his custom computer and bought up every series eight cpu within 30 miles," she continues. "He'll come into the Buy More to replace it. Develop him as an asset, _Agents_ Tiernan and Bartowski. Find out what he's doing for the Ring."

"That's it, that's the whole mission?" Chuck asks, exchanging looks with Bela. "We'll have it done by lunch."

"Don't get cocky," Casey says, his eyes meeting Bela's. "One mish does not an Agent make."

"Guys you can't take this lightly, developing an asset is very tricky business," Sarah adds. "You need to insinuate yourself into their life and have them trust you completely, knowing that one day you're probably gonna have to burn them."

"The trick is to find the hole in their life and fill it," Casey says, ignoring Bela's amused look as he clicks through the target's file. "With this Manoosh loser, he's a loner, friendless."

"I'm not comfortable seducing a guy while I still look like a raccoon," Bela says, referring to her still blackened eye as she begins spinning in her chair again.

The three glance at her, her spinning immediately stopping at their looks.

"I'm just saying, I think it will raise more questions than are needed," she shrugs. "I've had a week off from the Buy More because of it."

"Can't you cover it up?" Chuck asks, desperate. "Makeup or something?"

"No time," Casey says and they turn to the screen his eyes were on. "The asset has entered the store. Showtime, Bartowski."

"Good luck!" Bela calls out as he makes his way up the stairs.

Sarah hides her smile, turning back to the screen.

"Morning," Casey says, leaning down to Bela as she grins up at him before spinning her chair around again. "Funny."

She laughs as he forcefully stops it, pulling her up against him.

"Hi," she smiles, leaning into him as he kisses her.

"Guys, really?" Sarah asks, raising an eyebrow at the two.

He keeps his arm around Bela's waist as they part, pulling her onto his lap as he takes a seat in front of the surveillance.

"They're not ready for an asset, we're advancing them too quickly," Sarah says, Bela frowning at her. "I'm worried."

"Your job's not to worry, it's to train," he says, ignoring the glances from the two as he talks to Chuck. "Three o'clock; he's with the newest Buy Moron."

**"**Can I help you, sir?" Chuck asks, rushing over to Hannah and Manoosh.  
"Chuck, I got it," she says.

"No, really, let me help," he says, turning to Manoosh. "She's new here, still in training."

"Actually, I'd rather have her help me," he says.

"No, Chuck, I'm ready. I can handle a simple sale. It's okay," Hannah continues.

"Hannah, no sales are simple," Chuck says. "But don't worry, you will get your chance to shine as soon as you are ready."

"Okay," she says before leaving the two.

"Ah, sorry about that. Alone at last. What can I do you for?"

"Nothing," Manoosh sighs. "Now that you ruined my flow with that hottie."

"Let me ring you up personally," he says, following Manoosh. "Uh, are you from around here? Is that a Burbankian accent I detect?"

"Woodland hills."

"See? I knew I heard the familiar twang of the San Fernando Valley," he continues, Manoosh growing uncomfortable. "Your eyes are hypnotic. Chestnut? Hazel?"

"Get a room, Bartowski. You're not asking him out on a date," Casey growls.

"You know, I think I'll just get the cpu somewhere else," he says, handing the box back to Chuck.

"Wait, wait, wait! No, no. Uh... You-you should just take it, you should take it," Chuck says, shoving the box back into his hands.

"What do you mean?"

"It's on the house, for the inconvenience earlier with the hottie."

"You sure? I mean... Isn't that illegal?" Manoosh asks.

"It's on me. My pleasure."

"Chuck, ease up, you're coming on a little strong," Sarah says.

"Here's my card, just in case you have any other computer problems, or if you want to chat, you know, rap a little."

"Thanks," Manoosh says slowly.

"You idiot," Casey says.

"I'm not trying to pressure you, you know. No biggie. You have my card. If you call, you call," Chuck says, the security alarms beeping as Manoosh walks through the exit. "It's okay! Keep going! I'll hold them off! Call me!"

"I stand corrected, he's not ready," Casey says, shaking his head.

"Thank you," Sarah says sarcastically.

"Should've sent you, sweetheart," he says, kissing Bela's shoulder.

"Why me?" she frowns. "It seems like all I'm doing is seducing guys on missions."

"Cause you're so damn pretty," he teases, dodging her arm as she tries to hit him.

* * *

"If you don't want to do this sweetheart, just say," Casey says, resting his hand on Bela's leg as she finishes touching up her makeup.

"It's fine, Chuck and I both need to do things on our own," she says, making sure her black eye was now covered. "Yes it would be easier to send Sarah in, but you can't keep doing that."

"She's right," Sarah agrees, Casey growling as he turns back to the surveillance.

"I've got this," she says, giving his hand a quick squeeze before climbing out of the van.

"So, we were talking about your job?" Chuck says, sitting next to Manoosh at the bar.

"I'm doing something weapons related," says. "But that's really all I can say."

He hesitates, glancing at Chuck.

"I want to tell you, believe me I do," he adds, Chuck downing some more beer.

Manoosh glances in the mirror behind the bar, noticing Bela's reflexion before spinning around in his seat.

She slowly unzips her jacket before pulling it off, a grey _Frak Off_ t shirt sitting just under her breasts.

"What the hell is she doing in here, I got this," Chuck growls into his watch.

"You weren't moving fast enough, had to send in a closer," Casey says, Manoosh turning back to Chuck. "The Ring'll be here any minute."

"That hottie just smiled at me," Manoosh says as Bela slowly walks towards them. "Oh my god she's coming over here, what do I do?"

"Just-just play it cool, let her come to you," he says.

"Is this what cool people do?"

"Yeah, yeah, yeah, just you know, kinda-" Chuck says hurriedly. "Put out the vibe."

"Make a move, Bells, we're wasting time," Casey says.

"Excuse me," Bela says, leaning over Manoosh's shoulder. "Is this seat taken?"

"Help him out Chuck!" Casey growls.

"No it's not, it's not taken he was actually saving it for you I believe," Chuck interrupts, Bela smiling at him before sitting down.

"Thank you," she grins, reaching her hand out to him. "Bela."

"Manoosh," he says, shaking it.

"The Ring's here; get him out the back now!" Casey orders.

"Manoosh," Bela says, turning to him. "Come here."

"Where?" he asks.

"Closer," she says, Manoosh glancing at Chuck.

"You've got something on your lip," she says, leaning closer. "Let me take it off."

Chuck stares at her wide eyed as she kisses Manoosh, her hand pressing a tranq into his neck.

He quickly stands as Manoosh slumps against her.

"You get him, I'm gonna get the briefcase," she says, Chuck lifting him off of her as Bela stands.

"They're heading in, hurry up," Casey says, the two making their way out the back.

He opens the back of the van, helping them pull Manoosh in as they climb in as well.

"Wow, this is the best night of my life," Manoosh says, resting across Bela's lap.

"Good job," Casey says, nodding down at Bela as he moves to the driver's seat.

* * *

"I can't believe you're using her like this again!" Chuck yells, the three watching Bela through the two way glass.

Manoosh was slowly waking from the tranq as she strokes his face with her foot, both just in their underwear.

"Wake up, baby," she says, leaning over him.

"Hi," he mumbles before his eyes open wide as he quickly sits up. "Where am I?"

"My bedroom, what you don't remember?" she asks before pushing him back down. "Guess you had one too many drinks, lover boy."

"Did we, you know," he says as she kisses his neck.

"Yes, and it was amazing-oh! It was so intense we both just passed out!"

"I've never even spoken to a woman as beautiful as you before," he says as she continues to kiss him. "Why'd you choose me?"

"Because there's something just so mysterious about you and sexy and you were telling me about your top secret work," she says, kissing him again.

"Secrets turn me on."

"It's a weapon!" he blurts out. "A new technology that'll change everything!"

"Tell me more!"

"Okay, but first," he says, flipping her onto her back. "I don't really remember much from last night, can we do it again so I'll never forget?"

Casey tranqs him as he slides his hand down Bela's arm. She sighs as he collapses on top of her. She pushes him off before opening the wardrobe, ducking under the hangers before joining the others.

"Here," Casey says, sliding her robe over her shoulders, his hand resting against her hip.

She wraps it around herself, leaning into him as they look through the two way mirror.

"Guys, this isn't working. Is he gonna be okay 'cause that's, like, the fifth tranq dart that he's taken. How many can a normal person handle?" Chuck asks.

"As many as it takes for him to tell us what he's building for the Ring," Casey growls.

"They're twilight tranqs, Chuck they don't do permanent damage," Sarah explains. "They just make you forget what happened in the last five minutes."

"Well, he's my asset. I should've handled this."

"_Our_ asset," Bela corrects. "But I have to agree, I'm not getting anywhere with him."

"Looks like he's ready for round six..." Casey says as Manoosh wanders around the room.

"Whoa-whoa, take it easy, tranqenstein," Chuck says, Bela grinning at this.

Chuck takes out his ringing phone, Manoosh calling him from inside the room.

"Hello?" he answers.

"Chuck, it's Manoosh."

"Hey, manizzle. How you doing, buddy? How was last night?"

"I can't really remember, but judging by the fact that I'm half-naked in her bedroom right now, I've gotta say you are singlehandedly the best wingman in the world!"

"Well, thanks, buddy. What can I say? I do have my skill sets," Chuck smirks.

"Listen, um, you didn't happen to come across a briefcase at the mexican restaurant, did you?" Manoosh asks. "My entire life's work's in there. Kinda freaking out."

"No, no, no, no, your wingman saw that you left said briefcase and picked it up for you."

"Oh, thank you, Chuck. Look, I've got a flight to catch. Do you think you can meet me at the Buy More in about a half an hour?"

"Half hour? Not a problem," Chuck says.

"Great, thanks," he says, hanging up as he tries to open the door. "Bela... You in there?"

"Oh..." Bela winces as Casey tranqs him, Manoosh sliding down the door before his head hits the wall with a thud.

Chuck and Bela move over to the briefcase, Chuck undoing the clasps.

"No, no, no!" Casey yells, stopping him. "Langley said don't open it. They're sending their own hazmat team."

"But we don't have time to wait, Casey," he says, slapping his hand away. "Get your hand off of that. Hmm, comic book, glasses, shirt... Bingo. Guys, I'm not flashing. Whatever it is, it's not in the Intersect."

"I'm not getting anything either," Bela confirms, Chuck turning the object around in his hands.

"Oh!" Sarah says as he almost drops it.

"Easy, Bartowski we don't know what this is," Casey says, taking it from him.

"You think it could be a bomb?" Bela asks.

"I don't know, but we're not gonna find out the hard way," he says, moving away from them.

"Okay, just meet Manoosh at the Buy More, and give him back the briefcase, and act like nothing happened," Sarah says, Bela staring up at her confused.

"Should I go?" she asks, hesitating as she plays with the ties on her robe.

"Wait, what? Don't we need to replace it or something before we do that?" Chuck asks as they turn and watch Manoosh. "I mean, imagine what the Ring is gonna do to him if they find out he doesn't have it!"

"Just don't think about it," Sarah says. "It makes being a spy a lot easier."

* * *

"Not picking up any sign of ordnance," Casey says, surveying the object from Manoosh's briefcase. "Definitely not a bomb."

Bela looks up as Chuck rushes down the stairs.

"Guys, guys, we need to help Manoosh, okay? The ring's gonna track him down, and if he doesn't give that thing back to them, they're gonna hurt him or worse."

"Cry me a river. He's building a weapon, he's no innocent," Casey says. "He's served his purpose, that's what an asset is. Conduit to information, nothing more."

Bela clears her throat, causing him to meet her eyes.

"Bells-" he starts, sighing as she glares at him, moving to Chuck's side.

"Wait, wait, wait ah," Casey says, his attention back on the object. "Found something."

He jumps as the device sprays a white foam, coating the box it was contained in.

"What is that?" Sarah asks.

"Anthrax? Agent orange?" Chuck asks.

"Casey, no!" Bela protests as he reaches in and touches it.

"Shaving cream," he says, staring down at his hand. "It was a decoy."

"Then where's the weapon?" Sarah asks, Chuck looking up at the surveillance screen.

"They found Manoosh!" he yells, the others turning to watch.

"He doesn't know who he's dealing with," Bela says. "They're gonna kill him."

"That's not the weapon," Chuck says as they watch Manoosh fight the agents, knocking them all to the ground.

"Manoosh is the weapon," Bela says slowly, Chuck and her staring at each other. "He built a new Intersect."

* * *

"How did Manoosh build an Intersect?" Chuck asks. "I thought my dad was the only one who knew how to do that."

"Well, after 2.0 Intersect was destroyed, the Ring lifted certain burnt components from a CIA warehouse," Casey explains. "Manoosh must have reverse engineered it."

"We need to find Manoosh before the Ring does," Sarah says.

"He mentioned getting rich," Chuck says. "That he was going to sell it to the highest bidder."

"I got something," Sarah says, looking up from the computer. "Manoosh just used his credit card to book a flight to Dubai."

"Why? What's in Dubai?" Bela asks.

"Weap-con," Casey says, holding up a brochure. "The greatest weapons convention in the world."

He stares down at the paper, sighing.

"I go every year, I find it incredibly relaxing," he says, the others looking up at him. "Looks like I'll get to write this year's off as a business trip."

Chuck looks across at Bela as she shakes her head slowly, her mouth open.

"Bells?" he asks slowly.

"That's the trip you said we're going on!" she yells in disbelief, Casey glancing up at her over the brochure. "Damn it, Casey!"

"What?" he asks confused as she leaves the room.

"I'd take care of that _before_ we get on the plane," Sarah says, Chuck smirking at this.

"Women," he mutters, shoving the brochure into his pocket before following.

It doesn't take him long to find her, and he closes the door behind him as he watches her train for a moment.

"Bells-"

"What!" she snaps, refusing to look at him as she continues her assault on the heavy bag in front of her.

He sighs, making his way over to her, narrowly avoiding her fist as she turns, taking a swing at him.

"You're hot when you're pissed at me," he smirks, holding her hands against his chest.

"Ugh!" she says, struggling to break free before giving up, glaring up at him. "Weap-con?"

"I don't see what your problem is," he says.

"You said we were going on a trip, you and I," she says, frowning.

"We were, now it's complicated," he explains. "That's not what you're pissed about."

"This is something I do every year," he adds.

"Why not just go alone then?" she growls.

"Because I want you there!" he yells, trying to get through to her. "Damn it Bela, this is something that I enjoy, I want you to come with me!"

She frowns, narrowing her eyes at him before pushing him backwards. She catches him off guard and he stumbles, falling onto the mats.

"Bela-" he starts, grunting as she climbs on top of him, her legs straddling his waist as she rests against him.

"Shut up," she orders, his mouth snapping shut as her hands unbutton his pants.

"If I want your help, Casey, I'll ask for it," she says, slapping his hands out of the way as she drags his pants down his legs.

He grins wide, chuckling as he lets her have all the control.

She repositions herself, drawing her body fully over his and relishing the feel of his erection pressed against her.

She leans down and kisses him, her tongue thrusting into his mouth. He grips her hips, grinding her against him until she whimpers.

She pulls back, sliding her shorts off as he removes his shirt.

"What about your boxers?" she whispers before reaching down and stripping them off in one swift motion.

He reaches up and cups her breasts, growling in annoyance before pulling her shirt over her head, her bra soon joining the pile of clothing.

She rotates her hips, grinding against him and smiling at the sound of his strangled gasp.

She kisses her way down his body, stopping to give attention to every scar she found. Her tongue was like fire on his body and he runs his fingers through her hair as she kisses her way across his waist and down to his inner thighs.

She dips her head, her eyes never leaving his, and just barely touches the tip of her tongue to him, letting her warm breath surround him, making him squirm with pleasure.

"Oh Casey," she whispers. "You're ready already, aren't you? I bet you can barely wait any longer."

She licks her lips and at the sight of it his hips involuntarily buck against her palm. She runs her tongue up and down his length as her fingers lightly trace the ridge at his head before passing over the tip.

"Oh God, Bells," he manages to whisper as she envelopes his head within her lips. Her tongue traces circles over his tip as he grips the mat tightly in an effort to maintain what was left of his composure. He reaches down and manages to run a finger over her nipple, causing her to gasp while he was deep in her mouth; the sensation turning him on even more.

She slowly pulls him out of her mouth. She was aching for his touch as she kisses her way back up his body. When she reaches his shoulder he grabs her and flips her over so fast she didn't know it was happening until he was on top of her as his erection presses against her thigh. She wiggles her hips in an effort to draw him closer to her entrance.

Casey looks down at her, smoothing the hair out of her face before leaning down to kiss her hard on the lips. His hands begin to roam, one cupping her breast as the other reaches lower to trace her side, across her hip and over to the other side. She moans into his mouth as her hips writhe beneath him as he leans down and takes her breast in his mouth.

His fingers brush against her inner thighs. He breathes against her neck as he places small kisses along her collarbone.

She opens her legs as he settles between them and positions his tip at her entrance.

"Casey, I-oh!" she stops mid-thought as he slides inside her. He pulls out and slides in again, stopping only when he was fully inside her. He rotates his hips, relishing the sound of her moans of pleasure and the feel of her hands clutching his sides as she tries to pull him closer to her.

He establishes a rhythm as she begins to rock her hips in time with his movements, meeting him stroke for stroke. He kisses her deeply as he moves inside her, his tongue thrusting against hers. He was getting close and he could feel her building towards release as he continues rocking his hips against her. They come together, each other's name on their lips as they fall over the edge.

"I think they made up," Sarah says, glancing at Chuck with amusement as he tries to cover his ears.

* * *

"Wow…" Bela says slowly, her eyes wide as she looks around the room.

"Weap-con," Casey grins, his hand resting on her lower back as he leads her along.

"Deadly pens. I've got exploding pens, laser pens..." a salesman announces, gaining Casey's attention.

"Hey!" Sarah says. "Casey, no shopping. We're here to find Manoosh."

"You miss, what kind of pen do you want?" he asks Bela, Casey glancing at her and smirking as she studies the pens with interest.

"How much for the laser pen?" he asks, the corners of her mouth lifting into a smile.

"The presentation on stage four is about to begin," an announcer says over the speaker, Chuck and Sarah turning to see Manoosh.

"Please, have a seat, get situated," he says, walking up onto the stage.

"Huh?" Casey says, turning as Sarah taps him on the arm.

"Ladies, gentlemen, warlords, sheiks and Huns. I see some Huns back there, don't I? Welcome to the future of warfare and weapons. I have before me the most powerful weapon known to mankind. That weapon, you ask... Is me!"

He uncovers a mirror, tossing the sheet to the side as the audience laughs at him.

"At this time yesterday, I was a pathetic weakling. These bikini babes wouldn't even spit on me. I have no muscle, terrible allergies and am completely uncoordinated, but... behold me now," he says, his sunglasses now on as he turns to them. "Moments ago, I was a one hundred pound weakling. Now a deadly kung fu expert. Laugh if you will. Do I have any volunteers? Maybe one of you apes thinks they can kick my ass. Step back, ladies."

One of the men from the audience steps up, muttering angrily as he climbs onto the stage.

"Step back, ladies," Manoosh says, blocking the man's fist and throwing him aside as more men climb the stage, Manoosh knocking them all down.

"We'll head around back, intercept Manoosh before the Ring gets him," Casey says, dodging the audience as they move around the side of the stage, finding Manoosh eating nachos behind the curtain.

"Ooh, nachos, just as I requested."

"He's my asset, I'll handle this," Chuck says, Bela stepping forward but he stops her. "I don't think seeing you right now will help."

"Right," she mumbles, shaking her head.

"Don't get soft on him, Bartowski," Casey interrupts. "The only way any of us are safe is if he's under lock and key."

"Well fine, I can control him," he says.

"Then do it," Casey pushes, Bela folding her arms across her chest as she shrugs at Chuck's look.

"Chuck? What are you doing here?" Manoosh asks, confused.

"I came to protect you, okay?" he says. "To stop you from making a very horrible mistake. I know about the glasses, I know about the new intersect that you're building."

"Who are you?" Manoosh asks.

"I'm an agent with the CIA," Chuck explains.

"So you were tracking me, this friendship is fake?" he asks as the others come into view. "Bela? That wasn't real either?"

"I'm sorry, okay? I really am sorry," Bela says. "We just... we can't let you do this. These are bad people you're selling to."

"Worse than a guy who pretends to be my only friend?" he asks Chuck before turning to Bela. "Or a woman who pretends to have intercourse with me? The truth is, I don't need friends, Chuck. Not when I've got these."

He opens his jacket slightly, showing Chuck the glasses.

"Manoosh!" Bela yells, the Ring agents surrounding them.

"Hello, Manoosh," an agent says, walking towards him as the others are held back. "I believe you have something of ours."

* * *

"Wow, so now not only does the Ring have both Manoosh, but also the new Intersect that's he's building," Chuck says, the four tied to chairs at the back of the convention. "That is just super."

"Good thing I bought that laser pen from the Japanese booth," Casey says. "It burns through anything."

"I thought Sarah specifically said no shopping!" Chuck yells.

"That's my pen!" Bela pouts, ignoring Chuck.

"Just scooch over here, grab it with your mouth," Casey says, Bela's eyes widening as Chuck and Sarah exchange amused looks. "Come on, get your mouth over here and pull it out of my inside pocket, let's go!"

She opens her mouth to argue before sighing, scooting her chair forward before tipping onto her feet, crashing into the wall in front of her.

"Shh, quiet!" Casey hisses as she steadies herself, leaning over him. "Okay, on the left. Easy... okay, okay, okay."

"Come on!" Sarah yells.

"Shh!" Bela hisses, glaring at the others. "What do I-?"

"Don't be shy, just get in there," Casey urges. "Yeah, that's it, that's it."

"This is bringing back unpleasant memories of this morning," Chuck says, trying to shrug his shoulders up to cover his ears.

Bela presses her face against Casey's chest, nudging his shirt open with her nose.

"Okay, ow, ow, easy!" he yells. "Don't bite me!"

"I'm not biting you!" she mumbles and he growls at the feel of her lips against his chest.

"You got it?" he asks.

"Uh huh," she mumbles, slowly pulling away.

"Just be careful of the button, it activates the laser-whoa!" he yells, jumping to the side as she shoots the laser over his shoulder.

She gasps, her eyes wide as he glares at her.

"You aim carefully now, sweetheart," he warns. "Don't you make me a eunuch."

She narrows her eyes at him before aiming the pen down.

"Get to work," he says and she presses the button.

"I got it!" she mumbles around the pen as his cuffs break free.

"Shh, give me that!" he says, taking the pen from her.

"Alright, here we go, here..." Chuck says as he starts work on Bela's cuffs. "Ladies first."

* * *

"Look guys, I'll cut you a deal, huh?" Manoosh says, facing the Ring agents. "Half off."

"No, you'll give it to us," the agent says. "We don't need you anymore."

"Yeah?" Manoosh asks, tossing the glasses on the floor before destroying them with his foot. "Looks like you need me now, so let's talk about a reasonable fee, okay?"

"Drop your guns!" Sarah yells, Casey and her holding guns on the Ring agents as they turn to them.

"Hey folks, it sounds like we have another demonstration taking place back here," the tour guide says, pulling back the curtain. "As you can see, many of our products are ideally suited for resolving these types of hostage negotiations."

"Impressive simulation," one of the tourists says, the group leaving.

"Well I'd rather kill him, too than let you have him, so I guess we're on the same page," Casey says, the Ring agent glancing at him.

"Looks like Manoosh dies, then."

"Manoosh is not going to die," Chuck says, Bela and him joining the group, a pen in his hand as Bela trains her gun on the Ring agent. "In my hand, I hold a Japanese laser pen. Pinpoint accuracy. Could shoot the wings off a fly, if one was so sadistically inclined, which I am!"

"Nobody drop their guns!" the agent yells. "He won't do it; I can see it in his eyes. He won't kill me."

"Okay, fine, that's fair I probably won't kill you but I will remove the greater part of your earlobe," Chuck says, pressing the button on the pen, a blade sliding out. "What the-Casey, what is the deal...! I specifically asked for the same pen that you got, she gave me the wrong pen!"

"Just like Bartowski, bring a knife to a gun fight," he mutters.

"Now, where were we? Oh I know, we were going to kill you," the agent says, holding his gun against Manoosh's head.

Chuck stares down at the pen in his hand before looking up, glancing at a wall holding throwing stars.

He flashes, Manoosh noticing and ducking as Chuck throws the pen, the blade striking the agent in the hand. He fires the gun, hitting one of his men as Casey and Sarah take this opportunity to fire on the others.

"He's getting away!" Casey says, the Ring agent holding his injured hand as he runs from the room.

Bela notices Sarah on the ground, about to be shot by one of the men. She steadies her gun, firing and hitting the man in the shoulder, sending him to the ground. Sarah knocks him out as she stands.

"Thanks," she says, Bela shoving the gun in the back of her pants.

"You secure Manoosh," Casey says to Chuck and her. "He cannot walk out of here knowing what he knows."

Sarah and him chase after the agent as Manoosh stands.

"Guys, that was awesome!" he says. "Incredible, just incredible! Well thanks for rescuing me; I mean if it weren't for the two of you I'd probably be in some deep, dark cell somewhere."

"Uh... speaking of which, we cannot let you go," Chuck says.

"Chuck please, I won't tell anybody, I promise!" he pleads. "No one will ever know about the Intersect, me, the sunglasses, anything. I'll disappear, I swear."

Chuck sighs, glancing at Bela. She turns to Manoosh, nodding over her shoulder.

"Thanks guys, I owe you my life," he says before leaving.

"What are we doing," Bela whispers, shaking her head.

"We can't let him go," he agrees, following Manoosh.

"Here at the tranq booth, we feature the latest in non-lethal suppression," the tour guide says, Chuck watching as he loads the gun. "That's fifty ccs of pure grade ether. Your enemies will get plenty of rest before you interrogate them."

Bela nods at Chuck, biting her lip as he grabs the gun off the tour guide and fires, hitting Manoosh who falls to the floor at the entrance, unconscious.

"Another fabulous demonstration," the tour guide says, the group around them clapping.

* * *

"He has to go underground," Sarah says, Chuck and Bela watching Manoosh in castle. "If the Ring finds him, then he can build them another Intersect. It's the only way. Do you want me to handle it?"

"Yeah, yeah that'd be great," Bela sighs. "But we should do it."

Chuck takes her hand, pulling her over to Manoosh.

"Hey," he says, Manoosh standing up and turning to them.

"Hey, I've been scared to death," he says. "So when are you guys going to release me? I just want to go home, forget this ever happened."

"You can't go home, Manoosh," Bela says softly. "We are sending you to a secured isolation facility, somewhere that you will be safe."

"But I didn't do anything wrong! I mean, I tried to make a few bucks, but that's not illegal!" he yells, glancing behind him as Casey and two agents enter the room. "Chuck, you have to help me! I thought you were my friend."

"I'm not," he says, Bela squeezing his hand. "I'm a spy."

"Chuck," Manoosh says as the agents grab him from behind. "Bela! Please!"

"Hmm, only one way to deal with burning an asset," Casey says, resting a hand on Bela's shoulder. "Johnny Walker. Black."

He glances down at their entwined hands, raising an eyebrow.

"Cute," he scoffs, leaving them alone.

She swallows hard, resting her head on Chuck's shoulder as she stares up at him.

"Can you stay over tonight?" he asks quietly.

"Yeah," she nods, squeezing his hand. "I think I need a drink."

"Hate to say it, but I think I do, too."

* * *

"Heading home?" Casey asks, interrupting Bela's thoughts.

She shakes her head, pulling her bag on her shoulder as she waits for Chuck.

"I'll be home later, maybe," she mumbles, Casey frowning at this.

"I just need some space tonight," she says, Chuck joining them.

"Ready to go?" he asks, Bela nodding as they leave the Buy More.

* * *

"They're growing up, huh?" Casey says, Sarah watching Chuck and Bela on the surveillance.

They were sat at the table in Chuck and Morgan's apartment, both downing glasses of straight scotch.

"When we first met them, you ever think they'd be able to burn an asset?"

"No," Sarah says, frowning.

"They're turning into spies, it's a good thing," he says, Sarah glancing at him.

"Is it?" she mutters. "Can you honestly say that you're happy about what Bela is becoming? A couple of weeks ago she killed a man, Casey!"

"She had no choice!" he argues, shaking his head. "The more she learns, the more she can take care of herself out in the field... why wouldn't you want that for Chuck?"

"I don't want him to forget who he is," she says quietly. "What if once Bela's a spy, once she's changed everything she used to be, what if you feel differently?"

"Not a chance," he says his eyes on the screen as he watches her.

"Let her stay with Chuck tonight," Sarah says, stopping him halfway up the stairs as he turns to her. "They need each other, Casey."

He grunts, continuing up the stairs.

* * *

A/N: So Chuck and Bela had to burn their first asset, Sarah worrying about how quickly they're changing into spies. Next chapter Bela let's Chuck know how she feels about his relationship with Hannah, causing them to have their first big fight. Please review!


	44. Chuck vs The Mask

A/N: Wowsers trousers… so I haven't updated in quite a while, huh? I have no good explanation for my absence other than CrossFit regionals and general shenanigans. But I'm back, yay? Anyway, Chuck and Bela have their first serious fight in this chapter, which will carry on for a little while yet. Please review!

* * *

"Oh God, that's high," Bela says, staring down the hole as Shaw helps her with her harness. "Ohh we're really high."

He looks over her shoulder, glancing down before smirking.

"It's not that high," he says, ignoring her glare. "And you're the one that said you wanted less seduction missions."

"I know, but-"

"No buts," he says, finishing securing the harness. "Let's go."

"O…kay," she whispers, shaking her head clear after she flashes on the harness. "Alright. I'm ready."

He helps her lower herself down, watching as she reaches for the golden mask on the stand beneath her.

"Shaw!" she gasps as the harness slips, jolting her.

She glances up at him wide eyed, her mouth open as she sees the look on his face. "What-"

"Grab that!" he yells, Bela reaching for the bolt that was falling towards the floor.

It touches the tips of her fingers before falling to the floor, setting off the alarms.

"Damn it!" he yells, unsuccessfully trying to stop the hole from closing before she reaches him. "Bela!"

"Shaw!" she yells, banging on the ceiling as it closes. "Shaw!"

"Casey, things just got a little hairy in here," he says into his watch. "Please tell me the other intersect isn't busy."

* * *

"Hey," Chuck says, meeting Casey at the museum.

"Took you long enough," he growls, quickly pulling him along. "You know that's Bela in there right!"

"I know, she can handle herself," he defends. "What's she doing breaking into a museum vault anyway?"

"Forget it, she's only got five minutes of air left," he mutters, his voice strained.

"Five minutes of-Casey!" Chuck yells, turning to him. "You could have led with that, maybe mentioned it when you called me!"

He ignores his rant, pushing him towards the museum's computer system room.

"Just get on the museum's server and reboot he system," he orders. "Open the vault before she… just open the damn vault!"

"They're never going to let me on their server, Casey!"

"Well, I took the liberty of crashing it," he says. "It was the only way to stop the alarm, unless you get on that server there's no way to open the vault door."

He growls impatiently, shoving Chuck forward again.

"Now get in there, Bartowski!"

He watches Chuck enter the room before running back to join the others.

"Bela, how're you holding up?" Shaw asks, Sarah and him in the crawl space above the vault.

"Fantastic," she says, struggling to breathe.

"We're trying to get the door open," Sarah says as Casey rushes in. "It's four inches of solid steel. "We could try blowing the hatches…"

"No!" Casey growls, shaking his head. "She's too close, it'll kill her!"

"Kinda dying down here anyway," Bela says, Casey's jaw tensing at this.

"Bartowski, get this door open _now_!" he yells.

"She's got less than a minute," Shaw says, glancing at the others.

"Just blow the hatch," Bela gasps, the oxygen running out. "Blow the hatch…"

"No," Casey growls, grabbing Sarah's arm and stopping her.

"She's dying!" she yells, shrugging him off.

"No, don't!" Chuck yells, Sarah stopping as the hatch slowly opens.

"Bells," Casey whispers, Shaw and him pulling her up into the crawl space.

They lay her on her side, Casey letting out a sigh as she begins coughing, her eyes opening wide.

"That mission sucked," she says, Shaw smirking at her.

"Mission's not over yet, we still need that mask," he says, Bela groaning at this.

* * *

"What is that?" Bela asks as Shaw sits a styrofoam cup next to her.

He watches her spin around in the chair before answering.

"Double shot Americano. No cream, no sugar. Just the way you like it, oh, I almost forgot," he says before placing a swizzle stick on the lid. "I noticed you like to chew them when you get nervous."

She frowns, glancing at him before tossing the stirrer in the bin as the others join them.

"Hey, gang," Chuck says, taking a seat next to her. "Hey, hey, hey, what's going on?"

"Thanks for joining us," he says, Casey and Sarah remaining standing. "I'm sure you've all guessed that the CIA is not interested in stealing the Mask of Alexander. We believe that this artifact and possibly others are being used to smuggle items through Customs."

"What sort of items?" Bela asks.

"Items of interest to the Ring," he says, loading some photos onto the screen. "This was three months ago at the National Museum of Damascus. A team broke in, but didn't take anything."

"You think the Ring broke in just to hide something inside the mask?" Sarah asks.

"That's pretty smart," Casey says. "Traveling exhibitions don't have to go through normal screening."

"All I know is that we have to secure the mask before the Ring does," Shaw says. "Chuck, you'll be in the museum's control room in case we have any other snags."

Chuck nods, glancing at Bela.

"Casey and Sarah you'll handle surveillance."

Casey grunts at this, Sarah nodding beside him.

"What do I do?" Bela asks slowly.

"Bela, you and I will pose as guests at the party," he says, Chuck smirking across at her. "We'll break in and swap the mask before the unveiling with this reproduction."

He sets the fake mask on the table in front of her.

"Any questions? Concerns?" he asks, Bela staring at the mask, frowning.

"You mean other than us bringing a civilian on the mission?" Sarah asks, Chuck glancing at her at the mention of Hannah.

"I do have some new tranq darts I'd like to try out," Casey says, Bela smirking up at him as she shakes her head.

"No, no," Chuck interrupts. "I can handle Hannah. Besides, she can cover for me in my Nerd Herd duties in case you guys need to call in the big guns."

They stare at Chuck confused before he explains.

"And that would... that would be me," he says. "When I say 'Big guns' I'm referring to the Intersect, you know, if Bela gets stuck in the vault again, I can flash, get her out. Yeah, glad we had this talk."

Bela turns to him as the others leave.

"Wanna swap?" she grins, Chuck shaking his head at her as he stands.

"Oh, no, you can be Shaw's pretty date thank you very much," he says.

"Urgh," she growls, folding her arms across her chest. "Stupid intersect."

"Are you leaving now?" he asks as she stands. "I can give you a lift in the Herder."

"With Hannah?" she asks and he frowns at her tone. "No thanks."

"You've barely said two words to her," he says and she shrugs, picking up her coffee.

"You know how I feel about Sarah and you, I don't see why you're not trying to work things out," she says, ignoring him sigh.

"I told you what happened," he says, annoyed. "We can't all be perfect spy couples like Casey and you."

"Oh ha ha," she says, rolling her eyes at him. "Whatever, Chuck."

"We're really going to fight about this?" he asks and she nods, storming out. "Real mature, Bela!"

"What's he yelling about?" Casey asks as she joins him.

"Nothing," she mutters and he raises an eyebrow at her.

"Don't tell me the Carmichael's are quarreling," he says, Bela ignoring his remark.

"Here," she says, handing him her cup.

"Coffee?" he asks and she nods as he takes a sip. "Thanks."

"I'm going to get ready for the mission," she says, Casey grabbing her arm, stopping her.

"Want me to take care of Bartowski for you?" he asks, causing her to smile.

She leans up, pressing her lips against his before pulling back.

"No thanks," she says, resting her hand on his chest. "I can handle it."

* * *

"Dummy artifact?" Shaw asks, Bela helping him pack for the mission.

"Check," she says, placing the mask in her bag.

"Harnesses?" he asks, watching as she untangles herself from them.

"Check," she says, ignoring his smirk.

"Descender line?"

"Check," she nods.

"You ready?" he asks and she looks up as she zips up the bag.

"Of course I'm ready."

"It's just, this is our first mission in the field," he says. "So... I want to make sure that we're both on the same page."

She glances at him, Shaw clearing his throat as she catches him staring at her dress.

"You know, maybe we should talk about how many dates we've been on," he says. "You know we are playing a couple tonight, so... what do you think? Uh, one, two, five?"

"Does it really make a difference?" she shrugs.

"It informs our cover," he nods. "Our chemistry, body language; for instance, have we slept together yet?"

She laughs at this, Shaw smiling at her amusement.

"You got to be kidding me," she smirks.

"No, it changes the whole dynamic."

"Well, in that case no, we definitely have not slept together," she says, Shaw grabbing her hand as she moves to leave.

"I don't think you'll be needing that tonight," he says, nodding at the ring on her finger.

She looks down, frowning.

"I'm sure your cover with Casey will be fine if you don't wear it for one night," he says and she nods, sliding the ring off.

* * *

"The mask is in this vault," Shaw says, pointing it out to Bela. "It opens at eight; doesn't give us much time to make the swap."

She glances at him as he rests his arm across her shoulders, his hand caressing her arm.

"I thought I made myself clear about our cover," she smirks, Shaw dropping his hand to her hip.

"Just because we haven't slept together, doesn't mean we have to act like this is a middle school dance," he says, leaning in closer. "Over there, behind that door, is a staircase that leads up to the top of the vault."

Her eyes widen as he begins kissing down her neck.

"Keep an eye out on the security cameras, up to your right and straight ahead," he says, Bela glancing up at them.

"Are we good, Agent Tiernan?" he asks, Bela stepping away from him as she frowns, her face flushed.

"Yes, we're fine," she nods. "Thank you."

He smiles, placing his hand back on her back as she glances around the room.

"Oh!" she gasps, shaking her head as she flashes, Shaw's arm tightening around her.

"What is it, are you okay?" he asks, her eyes meeting his.

"The Ring agent who broke into the museum in Damascus, Vasillis is here," she says, the two looking up as Chuck joins them.

"Chuck, what are you doing here?" Shaw asks.

"The Ring agent-"

"Yeah we know, he's here," Bela says, frowning at him. "You're not the only one that can flash, remember?"

Chuck narrows his eyes, the two glaring at each other until Shaw interrupts.

"We have to abort," he says, and they turn to face him. "We don't have a choice; Vasillis and I have a history."

"Are you sure he remembers you?" Bela asks and he nods.

"You tend to remember the guy who set your face on fire."

"Uh yeah, looks like your friend isn't alone either," Chuck says, Vasillis talking to two other men.

"They're casing the place, they're here to grab the mask," Bela says. "We better move right now."

"I'm not sending you in alone," he says, glancing at Chuck. "You'll go with her."

"No!" they yell in unison, turning to glare at each other once again.

"Look, I can handle the mask," Bela protests. "Alone."

"We don't have time for this, I have to get out of here before I blow the cover," Shaw says. "Bela, Chuck _will_ go with you; you _will_ go with her."

"Fine," she mutters.

"All right," Shaw says. "I'll be in the van with Casey and Sarah if you need us."

"Let's go," Chuck says, Bela growling as she follows.

* * *

"Okay, you're going to have to lower me into the vault by hand," Bela says, setting her bag down as she pulls out the harness before tossing it at him. "Here."

"So, you and Shaw looked like you were having fun at the party tonight," Chuck says as she strips.

"What's that supposed to mean?" she growls.

"I'm just saying you two make a cute couple."

"Like you would know," she says bitterly. "Shaw and I are playing a cover."

"Same cover as Casey and you?" he asks, Bela glaring at him as she pulls on the harness. "Gonna sleep with _him_ too?"

He stops as he sees the hurt cross her face, sighing as she tosses the line at him and he silently clips it onto his harness.

"Come on, we've got a mask to steal," she mutters, moving towards the edge and looking down into the vault.

"Ready?" he asks and she nods, Chuck carefully lowering her down.

"Vasillis sent his men into the vault, they must have the code," Shaw says. "Tiernan, you've got company; Bartowski, you copy?"

"My hands are kind of full here," he growls into his watch before glancing up at the Ring agent. "Hi there."

He kicks Chuck into the vault, Chuck's weight pulling Bela back up to the crawlspace.

"Chuck!" she yells, kicking the agent unconscious as she steadies herself. "Hang on, Chuck, I got you!"

She clips her end of the line onto the unconscious man, another agent coming up behind her and pulling a strap tight around her neck, choking her.

She flashes, elbowing the agent in the head. He releases her as she grabs the mask, striking him across the head with it.

"Chuck," she says, kneeling over the vault before tossing the dummy mask down.

He catches it, switching the two, Bela pulling him up as the vault begins to open.

"Clear, clear, we're clear," she says into her watch, the hatch sliding shut.

"Ta da," he says, Bela remembering what he said earlier.

She snatches the mask out of his hands, silently packing up the equipment.

"God you're stubborn!" he yells, leaving her alone.

"And you're an ass!" she calls after him.

* * *

"Good morning, Tiernan," Shaw says, placing a cup of coffee in front of her.

"Okay, we need to talk," she says, turning to him.

He glances at the ring that was back on her finger.

"About last night?" he asks.

"About everything," she says. "About you bringing me coffee every morning and noticing that I like to chew on my swizzle sticks! You're embarrassing us both, we are just colleagues and that is all we are ever going to be, so please keep your coffee and your cheesy come ons to yourself. Okay, you got that?"

Shaw nods, glancing up at her.

"Good, now let's get back to work."

"I feel like I should probably apologise to Colonel Casey," Shaw says, Casey stopping in the doorway.

"Hey Shaw, thanks for the coffee," he says. "Just the way I like it, black and bitter."

Bela stares at him in disbelief as he walks off.

"He always drinks mine, too," she says slowly, looking down embarrassed.

"Have you and Agent Bartowski made up yet?" Shaw asks, Bela frowning at the mention of his name. "I'll take that as a no."

She picks up the coffee, taking a sip.

"Come help me with the mask," he says and she nods, following him.

"What do we have to do?" she asks as he hands her a scanner.

"We're looking for any kind of weapon, something that shouldn't be there," he says, Bela staring down at it.

"Check the base," she says, Shaw scanning it as her phone rings.

She glances at the caller I.D. before ignoring it, watching as Shaw inserts a pin into the base of the mask.

"That can't be good," he says, a metal cylinder rolling out and beeping.

Shaw reaches for it as it discharges white smoke, the two coughing as castle isolates them, Chuck getting caught on the other side as he runs in.

"Guys, I need the mask now," he says. "Vasillis knows we took it and he wants it back; he grabbed Hannah!"

"We're a little busy right now, Bartowski!" Shaw says.

"No!" Chuck yells, glancing at the screens before flashing. "Oh, no. Guys, guys, it's poison!"

"You think?" Bela coughs, Sarah rushing in.

"What's happening?" she asks, glancing at Chuck.

"It's a designer weapon developed for battlefield use, but th-there's a counter agent that can be taken up to one hour after exposure."

"Or what?" Shaw asks.

"Look, don't worry," he says. "I'm gonna get the counter agent from Vasillis. He wouldn't have shipped the weapon without it."

"It's got to be back at the..." Sarah starts, Chuck turning to her as she raises her watch to her mouth. "Casey gear up, you're heading back to the museum."

"I'll stay with them," Sarah says, Chuck nodding as he glances at the others.

* * *

"Funny, I don't feel like I'm dying," Bela says, Shaw and her sitting in castle.

They were both paling, sweat beading on their foreheads.

Sarah was pacing outside, glancing at her watch.

"Chuck and Casey will come through," she says, Bela rolling her eyes at this.

"But in case they don't... I wanted to clear the air between us," Shaw says, Bela glancing up at him.

"It turns out I haven't been completely honest about, uh, the coffee and how I was acting at the museum," he continues. "Truth is I was hitting on you. It was completely unprofessional and I apologise."

"I owe you an apology as well, I overreacted," she smirks, meeting his eyes. "The way you touched my neck at the party... I guess it was kind of nice."

"Really?" he asks.

"Really," she nods.

"Well then, I'm glad we had this talk."

"Yeah, me too," she sighs, Shaw looking up as the screens beep.

"The poison's been contained, room's been cleared," he says, Bela closing her eyes as she rests against the bench. "You need that antidote more than I do; we've got to get you out of here."

He stands, taking down one of the guns and using it to shoot through the glass before tossing it aside, moving over to Bela and lifting her over his shoulder.

"Come on, I'll drive," Sarah says, Shaw following.

* * *

"Casey, here, here," Chuck says, shoving the counter-agent into his hands. "How much time do they have left?"

Casey shakes his head, glancing at the screens.

"Don't worry about that," he says before nodding at Hannah on the screen. "You get her out of the vault."

"You don't have enough time, do you?" he asks, Casey swallowing hard.

"Focus, Bartowski," he snaps. "Even if they are lost, we still have a civilian in there. Get her out of there!"

He pushes Chuck towards the computers before running from the room.

"Hey!" he yells, Shaw carrying Bela into the museum. "Here's the counter-agent!"

He takes it from Casey, pressing it against Bela's mouth before inhaling it himself.

"You okay?" Casey asks, kneeling next to Bela.

"Yeah," she whispers, Shaw pulling her head onto his shoulder. "Thank you."

He watches as she closes her eyes, Shaw's arm resting across her shoulders.

Sarah pulls Casey to his feet before he can say anything.

"You don't want Shaw to know about Bela and you," she whispers, glancing at them. "He has feelings for her, if he finds out the two of you are more than a cover he'll go to Beckman and you'll be off the team and reassigned."

"So what, I'm supposed to just watch him put his hands all over her?" he growls. "She's my wife!"

"So keep it out of castle," she says before sighing. "You have no idea the things I've erased for you... I train in that room too!"

He smirks at this before looking over her shoulder at the two.

"I'll go release the curator," he says, Sarah nodding as he leaves.

* * *

"Nice work, everyone," Shaw says back at castle. "And you... we owe you one, Bartowski."

Bela says nothing, Chuck glancing at her before turning to Shaw.

"Oh come on, just 'cause I saved your life," he says, his eyes flicking to Bela's. "Twice."

Bela rolls her eyes, refusing to speak to him.

"Don't mention it," he says.

"You also helped secure a rogue chemical weapon," Casey says.

"Guys, he didn't do it by himself," Bela says, speaking up. "He's got a great team."

"And that brings us to our next point of business," Shaw says.

"Well, uh guys you're not going to have us forever," Sarah says, Bela glancing up at Casey. "The intersect was originally designed so that agents could work autonomously."

"We're your training wheels," Shaw adds. "And your performance tells me that it's about time for us to come off."

"Hope you're ready for your big boy bike, Bartowski," Casey smirks.

"Huh," Bela says, pressing her lips together as she thinks this over.

"Well, I for one think it's time for the Carmichael's to kiss and make up," Casey says, Bela glaring up at him.

"Yeah, I wouldn't hold your breath on that one," Chuck says, Sarah following him as he walks away.

"Hey," she says, catching up to him. "Uh, I just wanted to make sure you were okay."

"Yeah," he says. "I mean, I guess I've gotten used to us being a team, you know."

"Well, we're not going anywhere yet," she smiles. "But Shaw's right, at some point I'm just going to be standing in your way... and not just professionally."

"Right," he nods. "Are you sure you're okay with the whole Hannah thing? Bela said-"

"Oh, she shouldn't have given you a hard time," she says. "She's great and..."

"My best friend doesn't approve," he sighs, Sarah nodding. "I hate fighting with her; we've had our differences in the past, but nothing like this."

"She sure can hold a grudge, huh?" Sarah says, smiling lightly up at him.

"Yeah, she's not one to easily forgive and forget," he frowns.

* * *

"Ready to leave?" Bela asks, joining Casey as he finishes packing his bag.

He nods, zipping it up before slinging it over his shoulder.

She smiles, leaning towards him but frowns as he pushes her away.

"We need to talk," he says, Bela's eyes widening at this. "Not here, at home."

"Okay," she says quietly, her head down.

He hesitates at the look on her face.

"I'll see you there," he sighs, leaving her alone in the room.

"Hey," Shaw says, causing her to jump and turn to him.

"Hey," she says, pulling her own bag over her shoulder.

"Heading out?" he asks and she nods, Shaw frowning at her expression. "Is everything alright?"

"Yeah," she nods again, flashing him a small smile. "It's just been a long day. I'll see you, Shaw."

* * *

"Hey," Casey says, standing as he hears Bela entering their apartment.

He stops at the look on her face, watching her set her bag down as she fights back tears.

"What do you want to talk about?" Bela asks quietly, keeping her eyes downward.

He crosses the room quickly, pressing his lips onto hers as his hand rests against her back, pulling her into him. His other hand slides up her neck, his thumb resting on her jaw as he pulls back, resting his forehead against hers.

"I'm not ending this, this isn't what this is about," he says, feeling her relax in his arms.

"Okay," she nods, a smile breaking free as she stares up at him. "Then what?"

"Shaw," he says, her smile leaving at the mention of his name.

"I know he has feelings for you," he continues, Bela looking down at her feet. "And I know you've been feeling-"

"Casey, I-"

"I'm just saying, maybe you shouldn't ignore those feelings," he continues, her eyes widening with confusion. "Just... go along with Shaw for a while, if he asks you to dinner-"

"No!" she yells, Casey shushing her.

"If he finds out about us, he'll go straight to Beckman and I'll be reassigned," he explains. "I'll have to leave you, and I do _not_ want that, sweetheart."

She nods as he pulls her into his arms.

"I don't want to do this," she whispers, her head resting against his chest.

"You think I want you to either?" he growls, holding her tighter. "Just think of it as a mission."

He smirks as she groans, glaring up at him.

"Like a _seduction_ mission?" she deadpans. "_Another_ seduction mission!"

"They're your favourite," he jokes, kissing her before she can respond.

She leans into him, frowning slightly as she feels his arms shift from around her.

He pulls back, taking her hand in his.

"Here," he says, sliding her wedding ring back onto her finger. "I saw that he had you take it off for the mission."

"Yeah," she frowns, staring down at her hand before sighing. "I guess he'll be doing that a lot."

"You're still my wife, no matter what happens," he says and she nods, sliding her lips across his before smirking as she takes his hand.

He grins as he realises what she's thinking, letting her pull him towards the stairs.

"Casey!" she gasps as he lifts her over his shoulder.

"You were taking too long," he explains, Bela rolling her eyes at this.

* * *

A/N: So Chuck and Bela are still fighting and Bela has to play nice with Shaw. What could go wrong there? Please review!


	45. Chuck vs The Fake Name

A/N: Ha, yeah. Massive length between updates, sorry. It's pretty much been over a year, so explaining all the circumstances around the delay is pointless, but I'll leave you with a positive. I've already started on nearly all the remaining season three chapters, so they should (fingers crossed) be out this year. Anyway, here's the latest, things are going to get a wee bit complicated for Casey and Bela from here on out. Don't hate me, hang in there? Please review!

* * *

"I thought you didn't want dessert," Bela says, glowering up at Shaw as he takes a spoonful of her food.

"I don't, I want yours," he says. "See, my dessert is contained within your dessert."

"Hmm," she grimaces, slowly sliding her plate closer and out of his reach.

He smiles at this, leaning towards her.

"I'm glad you decided to come," he says, Bela glancing up at him.

"We're here on a mission," she states, giving a small shrug as she finishes her food.

He goes to say something, changing his mind as he stares over her shoulder.

She jumps as he slowly leans towards her.

"Shaw..." she whispers, her eyes on his lips.

"The vehicle in question has arrived," he says.

"Roger that," Casey says, Bela clearing her throat as she straightens up, glancing over her shoulder.

"The man is on the move," she says, her hand on her earpiece.

"I have the target in sight," Casey says, lining up his shot from the roof of the building opposite them as the man takes his keys from the valet.

"Night, night."

He shoots the tranq dart into the man's neck, Shaw and Bela rushing over and pushing him into the car.

"Go," Bela says, Shaw sliding into the driver's seat as she cuff's the man's wrists, sitting beside him in the backseat.

* * *

"Rafe Gruber is a martial arts expert, a sharpshooter," Sarah explains to the three. "He is one of five people who can hit a target from half a mile away. I mean, the man is a chameleon. It is a miracle we even got a hit on his location. Very few people have seen his face."

"Big deal, not impressed," Casey says, watching surveillance of Gruber in the interrogation room.

Bela sits opposite Sarah at the table, Shaw leaning on the back of her chair.

"Well, the Ring is," Sarah says, studying the computer screen in front of her. "They wired a million dollars into his account."

"Enemy of my enemy is my friend kind of thing," Shaw says. "We need to know who the Ring wants dead."

"There's nothing this clown can do that I can't do," Casey says, turning to them. "I'm perfect for this mission."

"Still, we're going with Bartowski on this one," Shaw says.

"Of course," Bela sighs, rolling her eyes as he frowns.

"If Rafe was a woman you'd be all over this mission," he says apologetically, Casey clenching his jaw as he watches the other man rest his hand on Bela's shoulder. "Bartowski will assume Rafe's identity in order to learn the Ring's target."

"Chuck wants to be a spy," Sarah says, Bela rolling her eyes again.

"Play nice," Casey warns, shooting her a look. She frowns as Chuck makes his way down the stairs.

"Tempt anyone with a tasty treat, huh?" he asks, setting a box of doughnuts down in front of Bela.

Her eyes widen as she stares down at them, licking her lips before shaking her head, sitting further back in her chair.

"What's with him?" Shaw asks of Chuck's cheerfulness.

"Stallion had a date last night," Casey explains. "Must have gotten lucky."

Sarah and Bela exchange looks before casting their eyes down at the table.

"So, what is going on?" he asks, taking a seat next to Bela and glancing up at the surveillance. "Who's this guy?"

"That is Rafe Gruber," Casey says, Bela looking at Chuck as he flashes.

"Wow, old Rafie boy's not such a good guy now, is he?" he says.

"Duh," Bela mutters, Chuck turning to glare at her.

"What are we doing with him, another seduction mission?" he asks mockingly.

"Chuck," Sarah frowns, shaking her head at him.

"Not we, Chuck, you," Shaw says, both hands now resting on Bela's shoulders.

"You're about to assume an alias," Casey says, his gaze focusing on anything but the two.

"You're going to become the world's most dangerous assassin," Sarah explains, shooting Bela a look as she opens her mouth to make a retort.

"Never mind," she sighs, Casey glancing over as Shaw squeezes her shoulder.

"I'm gonna go check on Rafe," he grunts, Bela frowning as she watches him leave.

"Becoming an alias, Chuck, is unlike anything you've had in your spy training before," Sarah says.

"Under the most stressful conditions, you have to react only like Rafe, not Chuck," Shaw explains.

"Guys please, I think I know a thing or two about acting all right?" he says confidently. "I happened to play Perchik in my high school's production of Fiddler on the Roof; and I was really quite good."

Bela scoffs at this, Chuck clenching his teeth.

"Though I'm no Bela, she's quite the little _actress_," he says, Shaw quickly slapping him across the face.

"Ow!" he yells, Bela pressing her lips together to stop her laughter. "What'd you do that for!?"

"I'm proving a point," he says.

"Everything you think and feel Chuck, even your innate reflexes have to change," Sarah says. "The kind of people that Gruber associates with will kill first, ask questions later."

"Yeah okay, fine, I get it," Chuck says. "What's the plan?"

"Well, Casey is going to elicit the details from Gruber," Sarah says, Bela glancing at Casey as he re-enters the room. "Who he's meeting, where and when."

"Then you'll go in as Gruber, take his place," Shaw says.

"Well, good luck there, it's gonna be tough getting information like that out of a top assassin like Rafe."

"Nah, I can be very persuasive," Casey says, holding up a small blow torch.

Bela immediately gets to her feet, Shaw turning to her.

"Can I-help? Watch? _Anything_?" she pleads, Casey pausing beside her.

"Can't hurt," he shrugs, glancing at Shaw. "Help with her training."

Shaw nods, Bela quickly following Casey into the room. He sets a bag down on the table, Bela looking at its contents as he moves towards Rafe with the blow torch.

"Hey, let me talk to him for a second," Chuck says, joining them.

"Step off, Bartowski, I got a job to do," he says, pushing him back towards the door.

"Yeah, well, hey so do I, okay? I've got to learn about Rafe so I can get into character for my mission," he says, turning to Rafe. "For example, Assassin is not normally a booth one finds at Career Day, how'd you initially become interested in this line of work?"

"Why would I tell you anything?" Rafe mutters, staring blankly ahead.

"I can think of one burning reason why," Casey says, holding the blow torch in front of him.

"Okay," Chuck says, pushing his arm away. "How about this one; what was your most difficult hit?"

"I'll take the torture over this man's questions," Rafe says.

"Roger that," Casey says, firing up the torch again.

"I'll take the torture over this man's questions," Chuck says, mimicking Rafe. Bela glances up at him, impressed. She glances down at the table as Rafe's phone rings.

"Hey, don't you touch that phone," Rafe says, Casey clamping his hand over his mouth as Chuck picks it up.

"Gruber here," he answers, his voice copying Rafe's. "Of course I'm ready, who do you think you're dealing with? Yeah, yeah, I know where that is. Across the street from the cupcake place. Because I like cupcakes, that's why. Who doesn't like a good cupcake? I'll be there."

"Not bad, Bartowski," Casey says after he ends the call.

"Who the hell is Bartowski?" Chuck asks, continuing to mimic Rafe.

* * *

"Terrible timing for my number one employee Morgan to be away at a leadership seminar," Big Mike says, addressing the group of Buy More employees. "Due to a clerical oversight, we received triple the number of Crock-Pots I may have intended."

"Looking a bit green there," Casey says quietly, noticing Bela glaring at Hannah and Chuck.

"What?" she asks confused.

"Don't you think this jealousy you have towards her has gone on long enough? Walker and I are both sick of the bickering between Bartowski and you."

"Jealous," she scoffs, folding her arms across her chest defensively. "Why on earth would I be jealous of _her_?"

"She stole your best friend," he shrugs, glancing up as Big Mike addresses him.

"You look like you've peeled a few spuds in your day, Casey," he says, before turning to Jeff and Lester. "And I would have picked you if these two dipsticks hadn't been faking sick to get out of chopping and dicing. Wash your filthy hands, boys."

"Well that was a waste of time," Bela says, rolling her eyes at Casey as they move away from the group.

Chuck glances at the two before making his way over.

"Hey, um, I'm cooking dinner tonight for my family and _Hannah_, and my special chicken pepperoni recipe takes a little time to prep," he explains, Bela screwing her face up at this. "So I don't know how long the mission is, but I need a hard out by five."

"Hm, I can give you a hard out with these five," Casey says, holding up his fist. "Get your priorities straight."

Chuck sighs as Casey leaves the two alone.

"What?" he asks, Bela staring at him.

"Dinner with _Hannah_," she snorts, shaking her head. "Enjoy that."

He clenches his teeth, watching as she turns her back on him.

"Maybe you'd be invited if you weren't being such a bitch!" he calls after her, regretting this instantly as everyone in earshot turns to stare at them.

He sighs at the finger Bela holds up, shaking his head as he turns away from her.

* * *

"You okay in here?" Shaw asks standing in the doorway as Bela checks Rafe's cuffs.

"Yeah, Casey said to check these, I'll be out in a sec," she nods.

He lingers momentarily before leaving the two alone.

"I see how that guy looks at you," Rafe says as Bela kneels in front of him, tightening the cuffs on his ankles. "I bet he has no clue what to do to a beautiful woman like you. But I do. I will take _such_ good care of you, sweetheart."

She yanks on the chain between his legs roughly, causing him to yell before chuckling as she leaves the room.

"All set," she says, joining Shaw in the next room. He was watching Rafe through the observation window.

"Quick thing I gotta do first," he says before walking into Rafe's cell.

She watches him circle him slowly before throwing a hard punch that connected with the side of his head, sending him to the floor unconscious.

"Okay," he says brightly as he enters the room. "Ready when you are."

She smirks at him briefly before following.

"Are you sure there's no way I can come on this mission?" she asks hopeful.

"Bela, you are coming on this mission," he says, watching her eyes light up. "You'll be observing from the van."

"Oh," she says, nodding slowly. "Great."

Sarah shoots her a sympathetic smile as they join her in the main room of castle. Both women look up as Chuck walks into the room, dressed as Rafe.

"Come on, I can pass for a cold-blooded killer, right?" he asks, glancing at the camera of Rafe's cell. "What happened to Rafe?"

Shaw and Bela exchange looks as Casey joins them, also dressed for the mission.

"What? Imbecile can't go in alone," he shrugs.

"Yeah, where am I going?" Chuck asks.

"Chuck, Rafe wasn't going to meet with your usual spies," Sarah explains. "These guys are a little more old fashioned."

* * *

"You okay, Bela?" Shaw asks, Bela repeatedly clicking the pen in her hand.

"Yeah, yeah, I guess I'd just rather be out there," she sighs, shaking her head as she listens to the surveillance. "Plus, Chuck's not a very good liar."

"Listen to him, he's completely living the lie," he says, Sarah turning to them. "Learn from this for when you need to take on an alias."

"The intersects aren't like you and me, Shaw," Sarah says, reaching across and taking the pen from Bela's hand. "We're both used to living somebody else's life."

"That's the job," Shaw says simply.

"Yeah, but where does the job end?" Bela asks quietly. Shaw turns to her slowly, noting her confused expression. "I can barely remember who I am anymore."

Sarah clears her throat as Bela stares at the screens in front of Shaw and her.

"Oh," she whispers, her eyes wide as she flashes on the name Casey was called.

"Damn it!" Shaw says, not noticing her reaction as he throws down his headphones. "Casey's been made, we need to get them out of there."

"How are we supposed to do that without getting everybody else killed?" Sarah asks, Bela frowning as she holds the discarded headphones to her ears.

"We need that name, Walker," he says. "We need to know who the Ring wants dead."

"What about Casey?" Sarah asks, Bela staring at her with wide eyes.

"Chuck's got this," Shaw says, his phone against his ear.

"Keep stalling, Chuck," Sarah says, watching Bela grow more and more agitated. "We need more time. We're waiting for backup."

"Oh geez," Sarah winces as Chuck rips out one of Casey's teeth.

"That's it!" Bela yells, throwing down the headphones as she makes her way to the back of the van. She was half way out before Shaw's arm wrapped around her waist, pulling her back inside.

"We've got this," he says, turning her around to face him.

"They're here," Sarah says, standing quickly. She glances at the two as she pulls on her gear, getting ready to go in.

"Stay here," Shaw says, his eyes still locked on Bela's as she swallows hard, nodding.

He turns to Sarah, pulling on his own gear as he quickly follows her from the van.

* * *

"I'm gonna kill Chuck," Bela frowns, watching as the medics attend to Casey.

He glances at her, waiting for them to finish up before talking.

"He did good today, Bela,"

"He ripped out your tooth," she says, arms folded across her chest as she watches him hold it up in the small jar.

"At least he got one with a cavity," he shrugs, shoving the jar into his pocket when she doesn't respond.

"Lighten up sunshine, I'm fine," he says, sliding his arm around her and pulling her close.

She smiles as he leans down, pressing his lips against hers.

"Oh, hey," she says as she rests her hands against his chest, playing with the buttons on his jacket. "Back there on the mission, I flashed on the name 'Alex Coburn.' Who is that?"

He grabs her wrists and she stares up at him in confusion.

"Don't ask questions you're not ready to hear the answers to," he growls, staring her down before releasing her. She looks at him in shock as she rubs at her now marked arms. "You should leave."

He avoids eye contact as she slowly moves away from him, saying nothing as she leaves the room.

"Hey-oh," Chuck says, seeing Bela walk into the main room of castle.

He pauses, watching her carefully as she grabs her things. He opens his mouth to ask if she's okay, but she keeps her head down, not wanting to engage in conversation with him. He sighs, watching her brush past him as she hurries out.

* * *

"Bela," Shaw greets, walking over to her as she searches through her bag outside Casey's apartment.

She looks up, giving him a nod as he stops at her side.

"Sarah and I were setting up dinner for Chuck and his family," he explains and she nods, smiling a little. He notices her troubled expression and steps closer.

"Any plans for the evening?" he asks and she looks up, meeting his eyes. She shakes her head, noting the cooler in his hand. "Well I managed to sneak out some chicken, and I don't want to brag, but it turned out pretty good. Care to join me?"

She hesitates, her hand finally locating the keys in her bag. She bites her lip as she releases them, pulling her hand out.

"That sounds great," she smiles, his face lighting up at this.

"Let's go then," he smiles, leading her to his car.

* * *

"That was amazing, thank you Shaw," Bela says, helping him clear the table. He smiles as she joins him in the kitchen, watching her with the dish towel as he rinses off a soapy plate.

"It was nothing, really," he says shaking his head.

"I've had Chuck's chicken pepperoni before, and believe me, there is no comparison," she explains, wincing slightly at the memory. "It's really quite awful."

"Well, credit to him for trying," he nods, the two drying off their hands.

Shaw gestures at the empty wine glasses from dinner, Bela nodding as he refills them.

He hands her one as he joins her on the couch, her eyes on the view from the large window. It was dark, but she admired the lights nonetheless.

"You seem miles away," he notes, refocusing her attention.

She offers a small smile as she faces him, nodding.

"Can I ask you something?"

He nods, taking a sip of wine.

"Do you really believe I'm capable of this-of being a spy?" she asks, nervous for his answer.

He pauses, thinking this over.

"I think you have all the potential," he says determined, before pausing.

"What?" she asks, noting his hesitation. He sighs, setting down their wine glasses.

"Casey and Walker," he explains. "They're holding both Chuck and you back; you should have advanced much further by now, but their constant interfering in missions has stalled your progress."

"Maybe we're just not cut out for this," she jokes, Shaw shaking his head.

"No," he disagrees. "You're a spy, Bela; you've got what it takes."

She smiles, glancing down at her hands, her eyes resting on her bare ring finger. Her mind drifts back to her confrontation with Casey, and she shakes her head to clear the memory.

"Maybe we've just had the wrong training," she mutters, Shaw noting the bitterness in her voice.

"I can help with that," he offers, Bela raising her head. "Any extra training or any questions you have about missions, or anything, I'm here anytime."

She smiles again, nodding.

"That would be wonderful," she says, her eyes meeting his.

He smiles and brushes her hair back behind her ear, watching her movements carefully as he leans in.

She swallows hard, her eyes on his lips as he moves forward, closing the distance between them.

She closes her eyes, his lips brushing against hers slowly, uncertain. She lets out the breath she was holding, her hand moving to his chest as she leans into the kiss. Shaw responds immediately, his hand moving to her waist as he pulls her closer.

"Shaw, I can't," she whispers, turning her head. His lips move to her neck and Bela moans as he pulls her shirt to the side. His lips brush her shoulder before moving back up along her collar bone. She shudders, his fingers adeptly unfastening the buttons of the white material. The second his hand touches the bare skin on her waist, she stops, her eyes opening wide. "No."

She presses her hands firmly against his chest, lightly pushing him away.

"I'm sorry," she breathes, catching her breath as their eyes meet. "I'm not-I can't do this, I'm sorry."

He clears his throat, regaining his composure before nodding.

"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have-"

"You have nothing to apologise for," she says, shaking her head. "I just can't do this right now, I…"

She runs a hand through her hair, looking around the room for her bag.

"I should go."

"It's late, stay," he says, Bela hesitating as her eyes flicker towards the bed before meeting his gaze. "I'll sleep on the couch, promise."

"I couldn't-" she protests but he holds a hand up, already having made up his mind.

"I _insist_," he says firmly, and she relaxes.

"Thank you, Shaw."

"Daniel," he says softly, Bela smiling at this.

"Daniel," she nods.

* * *

"Morning," Casey says, Bela jumping as she walks into their apartment, expecting it to be empty.

"Hi," she says, avoiding his eyes as she tosses her bag on the table.

He watches her as she pours herself some coffee before finally turning to face him.

"What?" he asks, her expression unreadable.

"You have nothing to say to me?" she asks in disbelief. "Seriously, Casey?"

"Nope," he says, turning back to his work. She glares at the back of his head, finishing her coffee in silence.

Sighing, she takes a seat across from him.

"John," she says softly, gaining his attention.

"Who is Alex?" she asks, and he clenches his jaw as his eyes narrow. "You can tell me."

He says nothing, seemingly looking straight through her before clearing his throat.

"How was your night with Shaw?" he asks, noticing the faint blush creep across her skin. "I know that's where you were; I'm a spy, it's what I do."

"We kissed," she admits, folding her arms across her chest. "But that's it. He slept on the couch."

"Of course," he laughs, Bela frowning at his tone. "I wouldn't expect anything less."

"John-"

"You want to sleep with the guy, sleep with him!" he yells, refusing to look at her.

"Why are you being like this?" she whispers, her voice wavering.

"We never should have happened, it was obviously a big mistake," he says, pushing away from the table. "One I won't be making again."

Bela stares up at him agape, the tears breaking free and sliding down her face.

She hears him sigh and looks up, waiting for his apology.

"We still have this damn cover," he growls, glaring down at the ring on his hand. She looks down at her own, a sob shaking her body as he continues. "I guess we'll just have to endure it."

He hears her stand, not even turning to watch her leave as the front door opens.

"Hey-" he hears Sarah say, Bela hurriedly brushing past her. "What was that all about?"

He ignores the aching in his chest, his grip on the counter turning his knuckles white.

"Casey, are you okay?" Sarah asks, his expression unreadable as he turns to her.

"Casey-"

"I just destroyed the most important damn thing in my life," he says, swallowing hard. "I need a minute."

* * *

"Oh!" Bela gasps, Shaw opening his door in just a towel. "I'm sorry if this is a bad time."

"Hey, Bela, come on in," he says, stepping back to let her move past him.

He watches her pause in the middle of the room, unsure of her words.

"Are you alright?" he asks, unable to read her face.

"I, uh, well…" she starts, her eyes moving to his bare chest before quickly moving to his face as she smiles. "I'm sorry could you please put some clothes on?"

"Oh, yeah," he laughs, turning and walking into the bathroom. He leaves the door open, Bela watching his shadow as he drops the towel.

"I wanted to apologise for my behaviour last night," she says, taking a few steps forward.

"No apology necessary," he says, leaning into the doorway as he zips his pants.

"Okay," she nods as he joins her, pulling on a shirt. "Um…well…"

"You really okay? You don't look like yourself," he notes, Bela quickly wiping her cheeks.

"You've been crying?" he asks with concern.

"It's… it's nothing, really," she lies, shaking her head as he moves closer. He cups his hand against her cheek, her eyes meeting his.

"What happened? Did Chuck-"

"No," she interrupts, shaking her head as she removes his hand. "Chuck's done nothing, it's just… I… my cover, everything, it's just getting so hard."

He nods, waiting for her to continue.

"I've had the intersect in my head for almost three years now…" she whispers. "I just… I'm starting to miss how things used to be, my old life... I miss just being me."

"Well, if this is you, I like you," he says, smiling at her. "I want more."

She smiles at him and he continues.

"I read your file, as you know," he says and she nods. "Your lifestyle before the intersect… your relationships…"

She smirks, glancing down at his lips before meeting his eyes again.

"Explains why I get stuck with all the seduction missions, huh?"

"It explains why you're struggling with your cover," he says, taking a step towards her. "Married to Casey? It's hardly believable but you sell it well."

She swallows hard, trying not to think of her earlier conversation.

"You're a beautiful woman, Isabela," he whispers, his hand returning to her cheek again. She closes her eyes at the use of her name, her head tilting into his touch.

"And I'm going to kiss you now."

He lightly touches his lips against hers, Bela hesitantly resting her hand against his chest as his hand moves to the back of her head, tangling in her hair.

"You truly are incredible," he whispers as they pull back, Bela smiling up at him.

They both jump at the sound of banging on the door, Shaw making his way over.

"What's going on!?" Bela gasps as Chuck pushes Shaw into the room.

"Shut your mouth, I'll deal with you later," Chuck snaps at her, turning back to Shaw.

"What's your problem?" he asks.

"My problem is that nobody messes with Rafe Gruber," Chuck says, Shaw's eyes widening as Chuck glances out the window. "They're watching us."

"I'd like you to remove those," Shaw says, Chuck clutching his shirt.

"Oh no, no, these are the hands that are gonna kill you Shaw," he says, Bela moving towards the two.

"What are you doing!?" she asks in disbelief.

"That is a married woman," Chuck says, nodding at her. "And I'm gonna end you for taking Isabela."

Bela's eyes widen as she realises Chuck heard their entire conversation.

"He had his chance," Shaw says. "And he blew it."

"Oh, my god!" Bela gasps as Chuck punches him, Shaw tackling Chuck to the ground.

"Shaw, enough!" Bela yells, watching him punch Chuck.

"Would you stop already I'm trying to sell myself as Rafe!" Chuck gasps as Shaw chokes him. "They're across the street with a sniper rifle and they're going to kill all of us!"

"No, I'm going to kill all of you," Rafe says, knocking Bela to the ground.

Shaw stands, throwing some punches before Rafe knocks him to the ground.

"Come on, flash," Chuck says as Rafe moves towards him, pushing him against the wall and wrapping his hand around his throat. "Flash… come on… flash!"

He hears Shaw move behind him, throwing Chuck into the table as he takes out his gun, turning to see Shaw on his knees.

He smirks, moving across the room.

"That's it, that's it, come here, yeah," Rafe says, pulling Bela up by her hair and pressing his gun into her throat.

"No, please don't!" Chuck and Shaw yell, both staring at him panicked.

"You two got it bad for this broad," Rafe chuckles. "Can't say I blame ya. I'm gonna make it easy on both of you, take her out of the equation."

Bela stares at them blankly as she slowly reaches back towards the gun.

"NO!" they both scream as a gun fires, Rafe and Bela falling to the floor.

They stare down at her, her eyes opening as she slowly gets to her feet, glancing at Rafe's body on the floor behind her.

She sees the bullet hole in his forehead, frowning as she turns and sees the cracked window.

"Jesus," Shaw says, moving to her side. "You're shaking."

She feels him pull her against him, her eyes on Chuck as he stares at the two, silent.

"I'm okay," she mumbles to them both, Chuck watching her carefully before clearing his throat and turning away.

* * *

"Hey," Sarah smiles, moving aside to let Bela into her apartment. "Thank you for coming."

"Absolutely, we don't do this enough," she smiles back, holding up a bottle of wine. "I hope this is okay?"

"Read my mind," she laughs, gesturing to the bottle on the counter next to a bag of takeaway.

"Fantastic!" Bela grins, the two making their way to the kitchen.

Bela starts unpacking the food as Sarah pours the wine, the two making their way over to the couch with their dinner.

"I know you're not on speaking terms with Chuck, and I don't quite understand it all, but I do need to talk about him if that's okay with you?" she asks nervously before taking a bite of food.

"It's fine," Bela nods, encouraging her to continue. "I assumed you'd want to talk about him tonight, anyway. I promise to not be snarky… much."

"It's just… really difficult to see Chuck become a different person," she sighs. "How he pulled out Casey's tooth, how he burnt that asset a couple of weeks ago and the way he lies to Hannah I mean it's so… easy for him. Chuck's changing."

Bela sits down her dinner, taking a sip of wine before turning to Sarah.

"I can't speak for Chuck, and at the moment I don't really want to, but… I know the guy pretty well, and if he's feeling like me right now, which I'm pretty sure he is, then this is not easy for him," Bela says before explaining further. "I'm struggling with these changes, with everything that I've done over the past three years… I know we're both becoming spies but…"

"Lives are being affected here," Sarah finishes, Bela nodding.

"Sounds like we're not the only ones who are changing," she smiles, Sarah letting out a small laugh as she nods.

"It's like I'm watching Chuck disappear… and the further he gets from who he is… the more I want to remember who I am," she says quietly. "Who I was before all of this."

She hesitates, taking a sip of wine before meeting Bela's eyes.

"I've been on this assignment for almost three years and I've never told anybody my real name," she says, Bela's eyes widening at this.

"Not even Chuck?" she asks, Sarah smiling.

"You know he would have told you by now if I had," she says, Bela nodding as she waits for her to continue.

"So… what is it?" she asks impatiently before apologising.

"It feels so weird to say it out loud," Sarah laughs, shaking her head. "I'm Sam… my real name is Sam."

"Sam," Bela nods slowly, pursing her lips as she takes it in. "I like it."

"I'm glad," she smiles, taking a sip of wine.

"Thank you for telling me, I know that wouldn't have been easy for you," she says, smiling reassuringly.

"It's such a relief having someone know, having one less secret stored away," she sighs.

"Well, your secret is safe with me," Bela smiles.

"So how are you? I read Shaw's report on Rafe," Sarah says before taking a bite of food.

"I'm okay now, I think," she nods, thinking it over. "I was a little rattled after it happened, but I guess professionally Casey will still be there for me, I mean he has to protect the assets, right?"

Sarah frowns at this, nursing her wine glass.

"What happened between you two?" she asks, Bela tensing at the question. "When you left his apartment in tears, he… I've never seen him that way before."

"He's done with me," Bela shrugs, taking a sip of her drink. "This cover of ours had gotten too much for him I guess, he'd put up with me long enough and just… he's done. It's understandable."

"Do you hear yourself right now?" Sarah scoffs, shaking her head. "I don't believe you for a second."

"Believe it," she says, taking another sip of wine. "It's over."

Sarah stays silent as she watches the other woman before sighing.

"So… Shaw and you…" she questions slowly.

"Yes…" Bela says, hesitating slightly. "I mean, I don't really know… I just know that I'm just another asset to Casey now, and Shaw has been wonderful to me."

"He is rather handsome," Sarah smirks, taking a sip of wine as she glances up at Bela.

"Well, yes, there is that also," she nods, grinning.

* * *

"So… now that the Ring know that you're alive, looks like you're gonna be down here for a while," Bela says, sitting on the table in front of Shaw as she places some bags in front of him. "So I bought you that; it's a crock pot, they're practically giving them away at the Buy More."

He laughs, glancing at the bag as she unpacks another.

"And, just so you know, castle is outside of Bamboo Dragon's delivery radius," she says, setting the take out containers on the table.

"Thank you," he says, staring up at her. "Isabela."

She leans down and kisses him, Shaw leaning up as he rests his hand on the back of her neck.

"Casey and I have a cover to keep," she whispers, pulling back to meet his eyes. "Too many people know to end it now, I don't know…"

"That's fine," Shaw nods. "Keep up the cover. There's no point causing a scene with a break up and raising any suspicion."

"Alright," she nods, Shaw moving aside to let her sit down.

"Let's eat," he says, Bela smiling as she moves to his side.

* * *

A/N: Ah, love. It's a tricky thing. Casey and Bela are on the rocks, Chuck and Bela aren't talking, but hey, Chuck and Sarah are looking promising! And Shaw's doing pretty well. Thanks for everyone's wonderful reviews. You're super.


	46. Chuck vs The Beard

A/N: New chapter, hooray! Thanks for the reviews on the last one, I really appreciate it. I know it's hard to keep interested when the length of time between updates varies so much so thank you to those that have stuck around.

* * *

"This is useless!" Bela yells, throwing a folder across the room as Shaw watches with a frown.

She sighs as he slowly picks up the papers.

"There's no point, this isn't happening," she says as he slides the files in front of her. "I'm broken or something."

"You haven't flashed in over a week," he says, leaning against the table. "Ever since Rafe tried to kill you; that's a problem."

"Problem? Really, a problem? That's kind of a strong word, don't you think? Just 'cause I've had a couple of off nights," she shrugs defensively.

"Off nights get agents killed, we need to figure this out," he says and she frowns at his tone. "Bela, the intersect isn't working; I can't risk putting you out in the field."

"What are you saying exactly?" she asks quietly, already knowing the answer.

"I'm sorry," he says softly, resting his hand on hers. "But until you start flashing again, you're no longer a spy."

"Unbelievable!" she growls, standing up and pushing him out of her way as she leaves the room.

"Bela," he sighs, following. "You have to understand-"

"No! I can't believe you're doing this," she scoffs, Chuck and Sarah looking up as they enter the main room of castle.

"What's happening?" Chuck asks, glancing between the two before realising. "You too, huh?"

Bela just glares at Shaw as she folds her arms across her chest.

"Maybe some time off will do you both good," Sarah says lightly. "Help you function again."

"I don't need time off, okay?" he says, Bela glancing across at him. "Maybe I'm not flashing because I have all of these emotions bottled up in me, ever thought about that? I just broke up with Hannah and I can't talk to my best friends anymore about anything in my life-I'm not a machine!"

Bela stares at him wide eyed and he meets her gaze before they both look away.

"Okay, I am a machine but I'm also a person," he sighs.

"Well you can always talk to us," Sarah says softly, staring up at him before turning to Bela. "Both of you."

The pair looks across at the two agents before glancing at each other.

"Yeah… ah, no thanks, I don't think that's gonna work for me," Chuck says slowly.

"Well find something that does work," Shaw says. "Because until you do, you're both benched."

"Whatever," Bela growls, turning and running up the stairs as Chuck sighs before slowly following.

* * *

"Could this day get any worse?" Bela sighs, cursing as she sees Casey make his way towards her. She wipes the tears from her eyes as she ducks into the home theatre room, turning her back towards the door as he follows.

"Hey," he says, pausing a few feet behind her. He reaches a hand out to touch her before hesitating, sighing as he lets it fall to his side.

"What do you want?" she mutters, turning to him. Her eyes were still watering as she fought back tears, Casey resisting the urge to pull her into his arms.

"Just making sure you're okay," he says, and she narrows her eyes at him.

"Peachy," she says, sniffing. "How are you?"

"Look, I heard what happened this morning, that you're off the team," he says, his eyes following the tear sliding down her cheek.

She brushes it away before straightening up.

"It's temporary," she shrugs.

"Walker said you haven't flashed for a while… ever since…" he starts before hesitating.

"Don't flatter yourself," she snorts, shaking her head. "You're not the cause of this, not entirely at least."

"So it's true, you can't flash-"

"Of course I can't flash!" she yells, glaring up at him. "You ripped my heart out telling me that the last three years meant nothing to you, that we meant nothing!"

He looks down before meeting her eyes again.

"I can't even talk to my best friend about it-about anything!" she says, the tears continuing to fall.

He watches her in silence, using all of his will to not close the distance between them.

"We can end this cover completely, if that makes things easier," he offers quietly, regretting the words as soon as they left his mouth.

"Easier for who?" she whispers, brushing past him before pausing. He turns to her hopeful before clenching his jaw as she holds out her hand to him.

"Isabela…" he whispers but she refuses to meet his eyes.

"Take it," she says, hearing him sigh as he opens his hand, letting her drop the ring into his palm. "Get whatever paperwork you want and I'll sign it. We're done, here."

He clenches his fist around the ring as she leaves.

* * *

"Don't look at me like that," Shaw smirks as Bela pouts, staring up at him with wide eyes. "You know I would take you with us if I could."

She smiles as he leans down, pressing his lips against hers as Chuck makes his way down the stairs. He pauses as he watches the two, glancing at Casey who was gripping a gun a little too tightly. Casey clears his throat as he notices Chuck's eyes on him, packing the gun he was holding in the bag in front of him.

"Hey, you guys leaving on the mission? You sure you don't want me to join?" Chuck asks, Shaw breaking away from Bela and handing him a file.

"We'd love you to, Chuck, but the intersects aren't working."

"The agent that the Ring plans to turn is staying at this hotel," Sarah explains, bringing up the details on the screen.

"There's no record of any spy being there so whoever it is is deep undercover," Shaw says, Sarah watching as Chuck reads over the file.

"Yeah, I'm sorry, I'm still not flashing," he says, shaking his head as Sarah frowns, her eyes meeting his.

"We'd better go," Shaw says, glancing at Sarah who nods.

"Look, guys, the team's a man short without me," he says, sighing as Bela snatches the file from his hands. "At least take one of us with you."

"Not today, I'm taking your place on this mission."

"The Ring knows that you're still alive," Bela says, resting her hand on Shaw's arm. "It's too dangerous for you to be there."

"And I can't leave this team short-handed," he says, glancing across at Chuck. "Besides, if the Ring wants a fight, I'll give 'em a fight."

He pulls Bela to her feet, wrapping his arms around her as he kisses her soundly.

"When we get back I expect this place to be exactly as I left it," Casey says, interrupting the two as he slams his bag down beside them. "You two newlyweds ready?"

"Yeah, let's go," Sarah says, sliding a ring onto her finger as Shaw does the same.

"What's with the rings?" Chuck asks as he watches Shaw and Sarah leave. "Hey, Casey, what am I supposed to do while you're gone?"

"Don't you have a day job?" he asks, glancing at Bela. She meets his eyes, Casey waiting for her to say something-anything, but she looks down, hearing him sigh as he leaves.

* * *

"Guys, hey, I need to talk to you," Chuck says, joining Bela and Morgan at the Nerd Herd desk.

"Clearly you don't, Chuck, or I wouldn't have fired you as my best friend," Morgan says, glancing at Bela. "Both of you."

Bela remains silent, scribbling on the paper in front of her.

"Can I please just have a minute?" he asks.

"Not now, Chuck, alright I'm freaking out about this interview man," he says, pacing in front of the desk.

"Look, hey buddy, you're gonna be fine, besides, it's only the Buy More you can always get another job," Chuck says. "It's not the end of the world."

"Really? See it may not be the end of the world to you, but I don't have a Stanford degree like the two of you, I can't do anything else _but_ the Buy More. This job is all I have."

"Bells?" Chuck asks, gaining her attention as she looks up, her eyes meeting his. "Please can we talk?"

She stares at him for a moment before opening her mouth to answer.

"Bela Tiernan?" Neil interrupts, gesturing her over to Big Mike's office. "You're up!"

"Bela, please," Chuck tries again, watching her move out from behind the desk.

"I've got an interview," she says as she walks past him.

* * *

"That's an impressive resume," Del says, Neil and him sitting opposite Bela. "So what's a Stanford grad doing working at a Buy More?"

"Oh, you know let's just say that the Buy More offers more opportunities than initially meets the eye," she says, absentmindedly toying with her bare ring finger.

"Really?" Neil asks intrigued. "For instance?"

"For instance, I get to work with my best friends every day," she says, smiling as she gestures out the window.

"Your best friends?" Del asks, amused.

"Yeah, yeah, Chuck Bartowski and Morgan Grimes," she nods. "Morgan's the assistant manager."

"Based on your track record you're the cream of this Buy More crop, why aren't you the assistant manager?"

"Because the right guy has already got the job," Bela says after pausing a moment. "That's not-I'm not being sexist… look, I know that you guys are probably gonna be making some changes around here, so I just want you to know while I might look good on paper, I'm not the cream of the crop-Morgan Grimes is."

Del and Neil exchange amused glances before nodding, turning back to Bela.

"Well alright then," Neil says as they stand, shaking hands. "Nice to meet you."

"Yeah, you too," she nods, smiling at them as they open the door for her. "Have a good day."

Chuck looks up as she exits the room and he quickly makes his way over.

"Hey, how'd you go?" he asks and she lets out a breath, her eyes meeting his.

"Good, I-"

"Chuck Bartowski, you're up!" Neil says, interrupting her.

"Sorry," he apologises, leaning into her as he walks past. "I'll meet you in castle when I'm done."

She nods, smiling lightly as he joins Neil and Del.

* * *

"Come on, flash!" Bela says, holding a photo in front of her. She stares at it hard before sighing, turning it over and reading the information on the back.

"Oh! I know, I know this," she says, looking at another photo. "Uh, The Condor, uh The Jackal!"

She confidently flips the photo over, groaning as she reads the information.

"Not even close," she growls, tossing the photos down on the table.

She sighs, glancing around castle as she spins around in her chair.

"Where are you, Chuck?" she mutters to herself, taking her phone out of her pocket as it rings.

She frowns, staring down at Casey's image as she hesitates accepting the call.

"I wouldn't answer that if I were you," Neil says, startling Bela as she hits the screen before dropping the phone.

"Oh!" she gasps, staring at him wide eyed before glancing down at her phone. She looks back up at Neil and his men before falling to her knees, reaching for the phone.

"Casey! The Ring agents are here in castle, I-oomph!" Bela coughs as one of the agents kicks her in the side, winding her as he treads on her phone, destroying it instantly.

"That was stupid," Neil says, pulling her to her feet.

"You're not interested in buying the Buy More at all, are you?" Bela scoffs as another agent pulls her arms painfully behind her back and cuffs them.

"Oh, don't pretend you don't know what a cover is, Agent Carmichael," Neil says, Bela stiffening at his words.

"I don't know who that is," she lies, Neil smiling as he looks over her shoulder.

"Really?" he nods, Bela turning her head to see what he was staring at.

She lets out a small yell as a fist connects with her face, her eyes watering at the stinging sensation forming on her cheek.

"We're well aware of who you are and who you work for," Neil continues. "We know that Shaw's been hiding down here. Tell us where his files are, Agent Carmichael."

* * *

"What?" Sarah asks, staring at Casey's face as he stares down at his phone. "What did she say?"

He swallows hard as he tries to call again, unable to make a connection to Bela's phone.

"Damn it!"

"Casey, what's going on?" Shaw asks, annoyed. "Is she okay?"

"The Ring agents are already in castle, they must have made it in as she answered," he says, trying again to call Bela before throwing his phone across the van in frustration.

"Chuck's not answering, either," Sarah sighs, turning to Casey.

"What did you hear?" she asks.

"They've got her," he says, avoiding her eyes.

Shaw speeds up at his words, his knuckles white as he grips the wheel.

* * *

"You're all alone, Agent Carmichael," Del says, his back to the tied up Chuck and Morgan as he sharpens a blade from his briefcase. "I've locked down the base."

"Sir, who is Agent Carmichael, okay you're crazy! This guy is crazy, Chuck, he thinks you're a spy," Morgan says.

"Yeah, yeah that's ridiculous, thinking I'm a spy," Chuck says slowly, glancing at Del.

"Ridiculous, sir!" Morgan calls over his shoulder. "Okay listen to me, we work at the Buy More alright, and if you just let us go I promise we're not going to tell anyone what you're doing here. Tell him Chuck!"

"Yeah, yeah, not a word, zipping it-locking it down!" Chuck adds.

"Locked, it's already locked down," Morgan says as Del turns around to face the two, a razor in his hand. "That is a really sharp looking razor."

"We've searched the base's mainframe," Del says, walking towards them. "Shaw's files aren't there."

"Sir," an agent interrupts, shoving Bela forward as he enters the room. "We found her with the main computer, with photos of our agents."

"Morgan!?" Bela gasps, her eyes wide as she glances between him and Chuck. "What are you doing here?"

"What am I doing here-what are you doing here!?" he asks confused.

"Enough!" Del yells, interrupting them. "Someone is going to tell me where those files are and trust me, the alternative is extremely unpleasant."

"You know what, I don't think there's any need for torture," Chuck says, Del kneeling in front of him. "Because even if I was a spy-which I'm not! I'm not saying that I am a spy, but even if I was a spy my training would have taught me to withstand said torture so I don't think it's going to have any effect at this particular juncture, right?"

"That's why I'm gonna torture him," he says, nodding at Morgan. "You both made the mistake of telling us that the bearded fellow is your best friend."

"Wait, let's just wait a minute here," Bela says as Del moves in front of Morgan, holding the blade in front of his face.

"For the last time, the files agents?"

"Guys, guys, please, please just listen to me," Morgan says. "This is ridiculous, okay? I have known this man my entire life and Bela for years, they're my best friends not spies! Argh!"

"Chuck!" Del threatens, pressing the razor against Morgan's cheek. "Bela!"

"Guys please!" Morgan yells. "Tell him something, tell him the truth I'm really scared here!"

"Wait, wait, wait, stop, stop!" Chuck and Bela both yell, exchanging nervous glances as Del backs off.

"Morgan, the truth is…" Chuck starts slowly, taking in a deep breath.

"The truth is Chuck and I are members of a joint NSA-CIA black ops team that is stationed here in Burbank," Bela finished for him. "We have a level six clearance, and my code name is Isabela Carmichael."

"Mine is Charles Carmichael," Chuck adds, sighing. "We're spies, buddy."

Morgan slowly takes all of this in, looking up at a smirking Del.

"You're spies?" he asks.

"So freaking out? I think you're doing that right now and you-you-you shouldn't do that," Bela stutters nervously.

"You're spies," Morgan repeats.

"Stay with us, buddy, okay-"

"You all can kiss and make up later," Del says, pressing the blade against Morgan's cheek again. "Where are Shaw's files!?"

"We've got visitors," an agent says, moving into the room. "Colonel Casey and Agent Walker decided to join the party."

"Casey and Sarah are spies, too?" Morgan asks in disbelief.

"You have a lot of catching up to do," Del says, pushing Bela further into the room. "Excuse me while I take care of your friends; we'll save the torture for later."

He pushes Bela again, and she falls on her face causing him and the agent to chuckle as they exit the room.

"Are you alright!?" Morgan asks, watching as she rolls herself onto her side.

"Yeah, I'm used to it," she mutters, managing to rock herself up onto her knees.

"No, no, no, no," Morgan says, shaking his head. "I can't believe it, all this time? You kept this a secret?"

"I'm so sorry, Morgan," Bela apologises.

"You have no idea how badly we've wanted to tell you," Chuck says. "All of this lying about where we've been y'know, making plans and breaking them and all the time all we've wanted to do is tell you all about it but we had to protect you too you know?"

"Please understand that," Bela finishes, her eyes watering as she waits for him to say something.

"Wow…" he sighs, shaking his head. "Wow! I don't-my best friends are spies? This is unbelievable! It's the best news I've ever heard! Holy smokes, it makes perfect sense, too, why we stopped hanging out and talking! I thought I'd lost you guys, I thought I'd lost you but you were out saving the world? You're both officially rehired as my best friends!"

"Great, that's good news, thanks," Chuck smiles as he looks over at Bela who was grinning with relief.

"Oh, I have so many questions I mean, wait, where do I start," Morgan says hurriedly. "Uh, how did this happen? D-did they recruit you at the Buy More? Stanford?"

Chuck and Bela's smiles fade as they continue to stare at each other, Bela nodding at Chuck as Morgan continues.

"Guys? Yeah I'm pretty sure we're gonna die here so no time for secrets."

"You know what? You're right buddy," Chuck nods. "You're right and quite frankly you deserve to know, okay? So here goes, you ready?"

"Yeah," Morgan nods, excited. "Yeah guys."

"Okay…" Bela starts, Chuck smiling at her reassuringly. "This all started about two and a half years ago when Chuck got an email from Bryce Larkin…"

* * *

"The castle has a self-destruct program built into it in case of catastrophic events like this," Shaw says, Sarah and him unsuccessfully trying to break into castle from the Orange Orange. "I'm calling Langley to activate it now."

"No, you can't destroy castle, Chuck is down there!" Sarah protests. "Bela is there-Shaw!"

"Along with every piece of intelligence we have, not just on the Ring, everything," he says.

"Please, just give them five more minutes, okay?" she pleads. "Do it for Bela."

"I'm sorry Sarah, but you have to think like a spy."

"I am thinking like a spy, Chuck and Bela are members of my team and they have served this country well and for all that they have done the least we can do is just give them five more minutes. If you care for Bela at all, you will give her five more minutes."

Shaw stares at Sarah wordlessly, his phone in his hand.

* * *

"So that's it, that's how it happened," Chuck says as he finishes explaining everything to Morgan. "So now we've got this thing in our brains, the intersect, like we told you, y'know, and it's not working."

"For either of us," Bela sighs. "Anything else you want to know before we die?"

"Yeah, yeah, just one more," Morgan says. "Umm… so Sarah and John are your handlers, does that make them your beards? In other words, were your whole relationships fake? Because ugh, guys that is awful."

"Why because we never had sex?" Chuck asks, Bela snorting at this.

"No, I just feel like having to be-you never had sex with that girl!? That's not-no, it's awful that you both had to pretend to be in relationships with people that you clearly love."

"Casey and I are over," Bela says quietly.

"No you're not," Morgan laughs, shaking his head. "You're a good liar, Bells, but you're not that good alright? You guys lied to me for three years but I always knew you loved them. I mean, I saw the way you looked at those two… we all did. It's okay not to deny it. Tell me you don't love Sarah, Chuck? And Bela, can you honestly tell me that you don't love John?

"You know what, you're right buddy," Chuck says. "I do love Sarah. I kept telling myself that I didn't, that I wouldn't-I couldn't but I do."

Bela grins as Chuck smiles wide.

"Morgan you have no idea how badly I needed to get all this off my chest," Chuck sighs. "Thank you."

"Get rid of them, kill them and dump the bodies," Del says, re-joining the three as his men follow him into the room.

Chuck smirks as he flashes, quickly looking across at Bela who was fighting to hide her own grin.

"Thank me later, buddy, we're about to die," Morgan says as the three are pulled to their feet.

"No you're not," Chuck says once they're un-cuffed, Bela and him fighting the agents as they keep Morgan safely between them. Chuck knocks an agent into the wooden training sticks, Morgan wincing as Chuck is hit across the back by one.

"Bela, sword!" Morgan yells, throwing her one.

"Thanks buddy!" she says, knocking the stick out of the agent's hand before cracking it across his head. He moves towards her again, and she counters all his strikes, knocking him to his knees and snapping the stick on his neck. She turns as she hears movement behind her.

Del stood holding a real sword, glaring across at her as she holds her fists higher.

"Wasaa!" Morgan yells, striking Del on the top of the head with one of the sticks.

Bela grins as he falls to the ground, unconscious.

"That was incredible, you guys were incredible!" Morgan says as Bela helps Chuck to his feet. "You were like Bruce Lee, Van Damme, Seagal, all rolled into one… er, two. That's my best friends!"

"Uhh…" Bela starts as she watches Morgan poke Del with the stick.

"Yeah he's out, he's out," he grins.

* * *

"I couldn't get in, we're locked out," Casey says, joining Sarah and Shaw in the Orange Orange.

"Time's up," Shaw says, staring down at Sarah as he dials Langley on his phone.

The three turn at the sound of castle's doors opening, Shaw quickly ending the call as they move towards it, their guns raised.

They lower them slowly as Morgan proudly walks out.

"Bag 'em and tag 'em, Sarah," he says, straightening his tie. "Excuse me, _Agent Walker_."

Sarah looks across at Casey after Morgan winks at them, both with confused looks on their faces.

"Oh, heeeeey," Bela says nervously as Chuck and her join Morgan. "Hey, guys."

"We can explain," Chuck adds.

* * *

"We'll just have to put Grimes in witness protection," Shaw says, turning to the others as they watch Morgan on the surveillance screen. He was in one of the holding cells playing a game on his phone. "We'll move him out of Burbank tonight, after dark."

"No!" Bela protests, Chuck shaking his head next to her.

"Morgan is not going anywhere, okay," he says.

"Guys, he knows your secret," Shaw sighs, his eyes on Bela.

"Yeah well so do a lot of people; Awesome knows and we didn't put him underground."

"Yeah because Awesome's awesome and Grimes is a moron," Casey says as he walks past the two. He frowns at the bruising on Bela's face but avoids eye contact with her.

"It's just too dangerous," Shaw says, moving to her side. "We've no reason to believe we can trust him."

"Yes we do," Bela growls.

"We have twenty two reasons why we can trust him," Chuck adds, taking a step towards Shaw. "That's the number of years that Morgan has been my best friend and yes, he has his faults granted, but one thing he is, is loyal."

"And he would never betray us or our secret," Bela says, resting her hand on Shaw's arm.

"They're right," Sarah says, Shaw putting his arm around Bela as he turns.

"Thank you," Chuck nods. "Look, we're flashing, we're spies again because we have our best friend back."

"We've stopped fighting, we're the Carmichael's again," Bela says, smiling up at Shaw. "You need the intersects, and we need him, so Morgan Grimes is staying exactly where he belongs which is the Burbank Buy More."

Shaw tenses his jaw, glancing at Chuck before picking up his phone, kissing the top of Bela's head as he presses some buttons, releasing Morgan from the cell.

"Thank you," Bela grins, pressing her lips against Shaw's, Casey glaring at them as Morgan joins the group.

"Hey, hey buddy," Chuck greets. Shaw keeps his arm around Bela as they part.

"Sorry about the wait," she smiles.

"Nah, no problem, no problem," Morgan says, looking around at everything. "Colonel Casey, always walking around so angry, should've known you had a big secret."

"God help us," Casey says.

"So yeah, everything's okay," Chuck says, smiling down at Morgan.

"That's great, yes! I love to hear it, okay so am I like, officially apart of the team or?"

"Let's just, let's walk before we run hey buddy," Chuck says, leading Morgan towards the stairs. "Coming, Bells?"

She smiles at the two, moving to follow.

"Hey, I want to take a look at that cheek before you go anywhere," Shaw says, holding her back.

"Come by when you're done, Bela, we'll celebrate!" Morgan calls down to her. "A little old school game night, Duck Hunt, Subway meatball marinara and extra jalapeños, the way you like it and uh, just the three of us."

"Yeah, just the three of us," Chuck laughs, smiling down at Bela as Morgan and him leave.

"C'mon," Shaw says, guiding Bela out the back.

She takes a seat on one of the cots as he closes the door, moving towards her.

"It's fine, really," she smiles as he cups her uninjured cheek, tilting her head and inspecting the bruising. He carefully presses his lips against her marred skin, and she lets out a breath as his lips move lower, sliding across her jaw.

He unbuttons her shirt as their lips meet, Bela gasping as his hands move to her breasts.

"Okay?" he asks, resting his forehead against hers as she flicks her eyes to his.

She nods slowly, her hands gripping the bottom of his shirt as she lifts it over his head, Shaw helping her to pull it from his arms.

Bela moves across, making room for him on the cot as he gently pushes her onto her back as he joins her, their lips meeting against.

"Don't watch that," Sarah says, startling Casey as he turns away from Shaw and Bela on the screen.

"Mind your own business, Walker," he grunts, turning away as he clears his throat, clearly upset.

"Look, she never did explain why the two of you ended things, but it was pretty clear that it wasn't her decision," she says softly, trying not to provoke him. "You pushed her away; you don't get a choice in whose arms caught her."

"You have no idea what the hell you're talking about!" Casey snaps, throwing down the folder in his hands as he storms out.

Sarah sighs, glancing at the screen before leaving.

"Shit," Bela hisses, inhaling sharply as Shaw's hands press against her sides. He pulls back quickly, staring down at her with concern.

"Damn it, Bela," he whispers, staring at more bruising on her ribs caused by the Ring agent's kick. "Why didn't you say anything!?"

"I'm okay, it's okay," she breathes, smiling up at him as he sits up. She goes to do the same but winces, Shaw moving to help her. "Sorry."

"You have nothing to apologise for," he smiles, pulling her shirt up over her shoulders. She smiles as he buttons them before pulling his own shirt on.

"I just have to make a call," Shaw says as they stand. "Wait for me; I'll walk you out, or to the castle entrance at least."

"Okay," she smiles, watching him leave as she walks in the opposite direction to the main room of castle.

Casey glances at her as she walks in, and he sets the Ring phone down next to the computers as she picks up her bag and jacket from the table.

He clears his throat as he slowly turns, watching her chew her lip as she stares down at her feet.

"How's your face?" he asks, Bela startling at the sound of his voice.

"It's uh-I'll be fine," she stutters, giving him a small smile of reassurance. "It's just bruised, nothing I'm not used to."

He nods, watching as she carefully pulls on her jacket.

"You should put some ice on those ribs," he adds, and her eyes widening at the realisation that he saw them in the other room.

"Hey, you ready?" Shaw asks as he walks out and she nods quickly. "Let's go."

He wraps his arm around her as he leads her out, Bela turning and glancing at Casey before sighing, turning back and resting her head on Shaw's shoulder.

Casey watches them leave before turning back to packing up the equipment from the mission. He glances across at the Ring phone as it starts buzzing. Slowly he makes his way over and holds it against his ear as it activates.

"Hello?" he asks quietly, keeping an eye on the stairs for Shaw.

"Hello Colonel Casey, it's been a while."

* * *

A/N: Ah, poor Casey. I'm actually having quite a hard time writing this now that the two aren't together, because it's fairly depressing. But never fear there's a few twists coming up that may or may not reunite our two lovers. As always, reviews are great so… leave one if you get a spare minute. Thanks!


	47. Chuck vs The Tic Tac

A/N: I've been working on this one for a while, just when I get a spare hour here and there. That hasn't been often, though. But here it is! It is pretty lengthy, which is why it took a little longer. I've also added a 'cover' or whatever you may call it to this story as well. I guess it helps for anyone struggling to create a visual of Bela in their heads. So… here's the new chapter! Enjoy!

* * *

"Good morning, team," General Beckman says, greeting the four agents in castle. "Your task this week is a trace cell mission."

"Ah, excuse me a trace cell?" Chuck asks, confused.

"It means spy proofing our own security," Sarah explains, Bela nodding slowly.

"The CIA's most valuable assets are held in a subterranean vault at our Los Angeles facility," Beckman continues. "You'll need to break through fifteen levels of security to get there."

'Fifteen,' Bela mouths to Chuck, her eyes wide.

"Will Shaw be joining us?" Casey asks, glancing across at her.

"No, Shaw's in DC," Beckman says, surprised Casey didn't already know this. "Agent Tiernan, you'll need to catch a later flight to meet him. You have your orders, good luck."

Chuck stares down at Bela confused as Beckman ends the link.

"This is just great, so now you're gonna go meet Shaw in DC, does everyone have a secret mission within a mission?" Chuck asks, Casey catching the look between Sarah and Bela.

"It's not a mission Chuck, this time it's personal," Casey scoffs as Bela stares down at her feet.

"Oh, oh right, of course!" Chuck nods, smiling lightly. "Well that would make sense why I was kept out of that loop."

"I was going to tell you, but then we got called in here," Bela explains apologetically.

"Remember, your work is here so stay focused, we're up against the best security in the world tonight," Casey interrupts, watching her. "Our own."

* * *

"Come on," Casey whispers, gesturing at the three to follow him.

"That's the door to level two," Sarah says as they stare down the hallway.

"A hallway, well, seems easy enough," Bela shrugs, moving to take a step forward.

"Whoa," Casey says, quickly pulling her back and causing her to fall against him. His hand lingers on her waist as he clears his throat, releasing her.

Chuck and her stare at him confused as he takes out a coin, tossing it down the hall.

"Oh," Chuck says, Bela's mouth hanging open as they watch bullets shoot from both sides of the wall.

"Here's where you flash," Casey says, the two now silent.

"Just relax guys, you've got time, nobody's banging down the door," Sarah says calmly.

Chuck and Bela stare down the hallway before smirking, turning to each other.

"You're it," Chuck says, grinning as Bela shrugs off her backpack.

"Thanks," she smiles, letting out a breath before flipping down the hallway, opening the door at the other end. "Mission accomplished!"

"Pace yourself Bela, we've got fourteen more levels," Sarah smiles as they join her at the other end.

"Seven for you, seven for me," Chuck smiles as he hands Bela her bag. "Nice work."

"Thanks," she says, pulling it on. "Your turn."

* * *

"Argh," Casey grunts, pushing through the door to level fifteen. "That was manageable."

The others slowly follow, all looking worse for wear.

Casey watches Sarah punch in a code, unlocking the door to the file room.

"Walker, watch the door," he says, Bela glancing at her.

"You guys go, I'll be fine," she says and Chuck and Bela nod, following Casey before the door slides shut behind them.

"Hey, uh, shouldn't we stick together?" Chuck asks, unclipping his backpack.

"No," Casey says bluntly before explaining. "Always got to have somebody watch your back, I got yours; the box we need is around here."

Casey pushes them along, pointing down one of the aisles.

"There, there, there," he says, Bela finding the box as Chuck takes some tools out of his backpack.

He hands them to Bela, watching as she begins unlocking the box, neither noticing Casey move away.

"Got it," she says, handing the tools back as she opens the draw, pulling out a note. "Seriously?"

Chuck looks down, reading the words 'Job well done' from Beckman on the paper.

"Nice," he chuckles as Bela closes the draw, pushing the box back in place.

They quickly pack up, looking around for Casey and finding him in front of a box, zipping up his own backpack as he closes the drawer.

"Did you just take something out of that box?" Chuck asks as Casey turns around to face them.

"No."

"We literally just watched you close it," he continues, Bela remaining silent as she watches Casey reach into his backpack. "Hey, hey, look if you're working on some secret side mission than tell us, okay?"

Chuck's eyes go wide as Casey pulls out his gun, aiming it at the two of them.

"Casey, what the hell are you doing?" Bela asks, ignoring the gun and staring straight into his eyes. She was surprised at how calm her voice remained, Chuck glancing at her out of the corner of his eye, equally shocked.

"Breathe a word of this to anyone and you're both as good as dead," Casey growls, lowering the weapon as the door slides open. "You understand?"

"Is everything okay?" Sarah asks, glancing at the three.

"Yeah," Chuck nods, Casey glaring down at Bela as she clenches her fists. "Just a lover's spat."

Sarah frowns, unconvinced as she watches the former couple.

"Bela?" she asks, the other woman finally looking away from Casey.

"Yeah, something like that," she mutters before shoving past him.

* * *

"Hey," Chuck greets, jogging down the castle stairs as he joins the others.

Casey grunts his acknowledgement, his arms folded across his chest as they wait for Beckman.

Chuck takes a seat next to Bela, who was slumped over the table, her head resting on her arms as she stares up at the blank screen.

"What's up?" he asks, nudging her.

"Tired," she mumbles, tilting her head to shoot him a small smile. "Was up pretty late Skyping with Shaw."

He snorts at this as Sarah walks in. She offers them both a small as she takes a seat, Beckman finally joining them on the screen.

"Unfortunately, your mission at the CIA facility was a day too late," she informs them. "The vault had already been compromised and a new drug called Laudanol was stolen."

"Military scientists were able to create two prototype pills that could suppress emotions in battlefield soldiers; make them stronger, faster, fearless."

"Wait a minute, no fear?" Chuck asks, Bela sitting up straight now.

"Could that help us flash?" she asks.

"Well, maybe, but then you wouldn't feel anything guys," Sarah says, turning to the two.

"Right, but we could work," Chuck says as Bela and him exchanging looks.

"Perfectly; I mean there are two pills, right?" Bela asks. "And two of us, it's perfect."

"We'll never know unless we get it back," Beckman continues. "We think this may have been an inside job; only a handful of our people knew the Laudanol was being kept in box oh-nine-two-four-oh-seven."

Chuck and Bela smirk at this information, both beginning to laugh lightly.

"Ohhh yes, we get it now, you're good," Chuck grins, Casey turning to glare at the two. "You are good General, you guys, you are good, very good. This is a test, right?"

"Bartowski," Casey warns, Sarah glancing up at him.

"First it was our solo missions, then turning an asset, now this time 'Chuck, Bela, would you betray your country or will you turn in your friend and husb-partner John Casey for stealing the pill'!"

Bela glares at Chuck at his almost mention of Casey and her nuptials, and he shoots her an apologetic look before continuing.

"We'll play ball, guilty!" he says, pointing cheerfully across at Casey. "He did it!"

Sarah stares up at Casey wide eyed as he says nothing.

"Are you positive you saw Colonel Casey take the pills Mister Bartowski?" Beckman asks slowly.

"Yeah!" he grins, glancing at Casey and freezing at the look he received.

"Miss Tiernan?"

Bela looks up, wordless as she looks to Casey then Chuck before turning back to Beckman.

"No, no, I wouldn't-I would actually not use the word 'positive'," she stutters, Casey and Sarah both eying the gun on the table. "It was very poorly lit in that-um… we're wrong half the time, so…"

"Colonel Casey, would you care to respond?" Beckman asks.

Sarah slowly reaches across and picks up the gun from the table as he doesn't respond.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, hang on a second," Chuck says, standing up. "Let's all just take a breath here okay. John Casey is one of the most loyal spies out there-he would never do anything to jeopardise the CIA."

"Casey, just tell them," Bela says, gesturing at Beckman and Sarah. He meets her eyes before slowly turning back to the General.

"With all due respect, General, I will exercise my right to remain silent under the Fifth Amendment to the constitution," he finally responds, Bela's face paling at the realisation of his guilt.

"What?" Chuck whispers, his arms moving around Bela as she sways. "What are you doing?"

"Agent Walker, please relieve the Colonel of his weapon," Beckman says slowly.

Sarah aims her gun at Casey as she slowly stands and he reaches for his own.

"John, you wanna tell me what's going on?" Sarah asks quietly.

He holds out his gun to her, but she indicates for him to place it on the table between them.

"I'm gonna be sick," Bela gasps and he turns to her after setting the gun down. Her face had paled considerably and she looked ready to faint, swaying slightly in Chuck's arms.

"Please, don't," she says, holding up her hand to keep him away as he moves towards her.

"Take her to get some air," Sarah instructs Chuck, not taking her eyes or gun off of Casey. He sighs as he watches her struggle to walk, wanting to reach out to her and hold her himself, explain to her what was happening.

"Yeah, c'mon Bells," Chuck says quietly, guiding an unsteady Bela up the stairs. She leans on him until they make it outside, stopping around the corner from the Orange Orange. Bela drops to her knees, heaving in the bushes as Chuck makes a face, moving to hold back her hair.

"I can't believe this," Chuck says as she finishes, sitting back on her knees as she wipes her mouth. "This is… unbelievable… I mean we both saw him take those pills right? That really happened?"

"It happened," Bela responds after a moment, her voice low. "But I don't believe for a second that the man in there would betray his country over some damn pills. There's something else going on here, Chuck. Something Casey's not telling us."

"What are you thinking?" he asks as she stands.

"I'm going to our-his apartment to see if I can find something-anything to explain what's going on here," she says as Chuck recalls Morgan filming Casey's apartment. "Are you coming?"

"I'll meet you there, I just need to check something first," he says, watching her nod before leaving.

* * *

"Hey, show some respect, this guy was one of the best that we had," Sarah says as the agents tear apart Casey and formerly Bela's apartment.

"Sorry, ma'am," one of the men says. "Still no sign of the Laudanol."

"There are a lot of women's items here, clothing, makeup, sanitary-"

"Yeah," Bela says, snatching the tampons from the agent. "What, you've never had a cover before?"

He turns red, quickly apologising before hastily moving away.

"Hey, hey Bells," Chuck says, joining them. "I just flashed."

Bela frowns and Chuck takes out his phone, showing her the video Morgan sent him of Casey's conversation with Keller.

"Where did you-why does Morgan have this?" Bela asks, Sarah watching it beside her.

"He was practicing his spy techniques," Chuck says before catching their looks. "I've put a stop to it, don't worry."

"Oh, wow," Bela says, blinking quickly as she finishes flashing.

"Casey is being played," he says as he takes his phone back. "His old commanding officer is a guy named James Keller, high up in special ops."

"He's the guy that turned Casey's former sensei because now he's a member of The Ring," Bela adds.

"What?" Sarah asks.

"Casey doesn't know anything, we've got to talk to him and tell him who this Keller guy really is."

"We can't, Casey committed treason and he's still refusing to talk," Sarah says, glancing at the agents around them before adding. "They're moving him to a black site in Thailand outside of US torture jurisdictions."

"When?" Bela asks quietly.

"Tomorrow morning."

"Okay, then we've got to break him out before then and clear his name," Chuck says, watching Bela as she remains silent.

"If we do this and if we get caught we're gonna be tried for treason," Sarah warns them. "You'll both lose everything and will never get a chance to be real spies. Is that what you want?"

"It's Casey," Bela whispers, and Sarah nods, smiling.

"I was hoping you'd say that," she says, Chuck squeezing Bela's hand as they leave.

* * *

"Sure you're okay missing your flight to DC?" Chuck asks as Bela follows Sarah through the door to level one.

"Yeah, Shaw can wait, Casey can't," she says as they stare down the hallway.

"He's in a holding cell on level fifteen," Sarah says.

"So now all we have to do is break through the security we just spy proofed."

"Well it's only been twenty four hours I'd be surprised if they've fixed anything."

"Alright then," Bela says as Chuck and her flash. "Time to save the day."

"I'll go," Chuck says, Bela nodding as he flips down the hallway, crashing into a clear barrier.

"Chuck?" Sarah asks as they slowly move towards him. "Are you okay?"

"Well that wasn't there before," he says as he stands up, the three turning at the sound of alarms.

The elevator opposite them opens, and three men step out, the two larger ones holding guns.

"Alert the General, we've captured three infiltrators," the unarmed man says as he swipes his card, disarming the alarms. "I see you've encountered my new security measures."

Sarah begins clapping, smiling at Bela and Chuck before turning to the man.

"Well done," she congratulates. "Well done."

"Yeah, really awesome," Bela says, playing along. "Good work."

"You deserve a medal for adjusting all of these security measures so quickly!" Sarah continues as Chuck pretends to dial a number on his phone.

"Yes General Beckman, the spy proofing is excellent," he says as he holds it to his ear. "Who to thank?"

"Uh, Fitzroy! Stanley Fitzroy it means 'son of the king'," the man says, Bela and Sarah nodding.

"Did you get that General? Fitzroy?" Chuck asks. "Son of the king, that's what-she knew that as well, that's incredible. Yeah, okay great."

Fitzroy grins as Chuck ends the call, his phone going back into his pocket before he holds out his hand.

"Uh, my name is Charles Carmichael, and these are my partner's Isabela Carmichael and Sarah Walker."

"Uh, we're secure," Fitzroy says, indicating for the two men to leave as he stares at Bela and Sarah. "Please forgive the intrusion and condescending tone, I wasn't informed that you three were coming but then that must have been the point. Um… did you like what I did on level one?"

"Very impressive," Bela says, Chuck nodding in agreement.

"Very, very," he says, glancing at Sarah. "In fact, we'd love to see what was done with level fifteen."

"Well let me show you," he smiles, leading them down the hallway. "I'll give you the tour."

* * *

"So that was fourteen, and here's level fifteen," Fitzroy says as the three follow him slowly. "I'm just so glad you're pleased with my new security measures, you know I'm kind of your biggest fan."

"Really?" Bela asks as he looks at Chuck and her.

"Yeah, I read and file all of your mission reports," he grins. "Remember when you reverse engineered an antidote to that bioweapon and kissed Colonel Casey only to realise it was all for naught?"

"That was all you," Bela says, patting Chuck on the shoulder as he makes a face at the memory.

"That must have been exciting and scary at the same time."

"Can we just skip the details for now, we'll get into all of that later, right now I'm really interested in how you secured this holding cell," Bela says, nodding at the door behind Fitzroy.

"It's the newest security measure, I have the only key card in the whole building," he gloats, reaching into his pocket. "This card is the only thing that stands between the bad guys and the holding cell."

"Stanley," Sarah says slowly. "We're gonna need that key card."

"But it-" he starts before realising, his face dropping. "Oh no… I'll swallow the key card if I have to."

He raises the card to his mouth before stopping as the alarms sound again, the four looking around.

"Well that's weird, if we're still out here then how's the alarm going off," he mutters.

"Somebody's coming, we don't have time for this," Bela growls.

"Time for what?" Fitzroy asks, Bela taking the card from him before punching him out.

"Was that absolutely necessary?" Chuck asks, glancing at her unimpressed.

"Yes," she says bluntly, swiping the card. She disarms the alarms as Chuck gains access to the security feed from the holding cells.

"There, look, Casey," he says, bringing up a larger picture of the first holding cell.

Bela presses the command to open the cell just as an explosion rocks the facility.

"I really hope that wasn't me," she says, looking across at the other two.

"Let's go," Sarah says, the three making there way to Casey's cell.

As the doors slide open they see Casey on the ground, Keller and his heavily armed men standing in the hole caused by their explosion.

Casey slowly pulls himself to his feet, blinking through the dust as his eyes meet Bela's.

"Don't take another step," Keller says as Bela steps into the room, and she stops, glaring over Casey's shoulder at him. "I just want the Colonel."

"Casey, you don't understand Keller is not who you think he is, he's part of the Ring," she says, her eyes pleading with him to come with them.

"Let's go, John," Keller says, growing impatient.

"I know," he whispers before turning, staggering out to Keller.

"No," Chuck says, holding Bela back as he stares at the men still holding weapons on them.

"We have to get out of here, let's go," Sarah says, Chuck pulling Bela along as they make their way out.

"What are we supposed to do now?" Bela asks.

"We just broke out of a CIA facility, we've got to get out of here first and worry about finding the Ring later."

Chuck begins to jog, continuing to pull Bela along before a car door opens, knocking them both to the ground.

Sarah gasps as a black cloth bag is placed over her head, two men doing the same to Chuck and Bela before pulling them from the ground and into the vehicle.

* * *

"When four of my agents are arrested for treason in twenty four hours, it reflects poorly on me," General Beckman says, addressing the three once the bags are removed from their heads. They were all tied to chairs in castle, Beckman glaring down at them unimpressed.

"Look General, Casey-" Bela starts but is interrupted.

"You don't know John Casey, not the way you think. His real name is Alex Coburn. We've unsealed his file and this is what we've learned."

She brings up his file on screen, Bela staring at it wide eyed as she takes it all in.

"Alex Coburn faked his death in Honduras in nineteen eighty nine, the same day that John Casey was recruited for NSA Black Ops by Colonel James Keller."

"Keller must have recruited him again and this time for The Ring," Sarah says.

"It is crucial the Laudanol doesn't fall into their hands. The only reason you're not in federal prison right now is because I have a mission only you can accomplish."

The General glares down at them before continuing.

"Find and capture Colonel John Casey… _dead_ or alive."

Chuck and Sarah exchange worried looks before both turning to see Bela paling again at the General's words.

Two agents untie the three before leaving.

"Bela, a word," Beckman says, waiting for her to join her.

Sarah shrugs at Bela's confused look, turning to Chuck as he watches them move down the hallway into another room.

"Do you think she knows? About Casey and Bela?"

"I'm sure it's nothing to worry about," Sarah says unconvincingly, staring after the two.

Chuck frowns, moving to the screen and bringing up the security feed from the room the two were in.

"Chuck," Sarah warns, but stands at to his side to listen as well.

"Agent Tiernan, it's been brought to my attention by Agent Shaw that the two of you have begun to pursue a relationship outside of your professional one," General Beckman says, watching Bela's eyes widen in surprise.

"H-he told you that?" she asks slowly, confused as to why he would willingly reveal that information.

Beckman nods.

"So what does that mean? I mean, is he off the team now?"

"While I don't condone agents becoming involved romantically whilst working together, Shaw has insured me that it will not interfere with your professionalism whatsoever."

"We're not in trouble?" Bela asks, slowly taking in the General's words.

"No," she sighs, folding her arms across her chest. "Now given the circumstances, Shaw will help you re-establish a cover now that Colonel Casey will no longer be a part of the team. You can discuss when you join him in Washington how you will deal with the 'break up'."

"Okay," she nods, her head spinning slightly. She'd been stressing over her real relationship with Casey that she'd forgotten that they were essentially still 'cover-dating' to the General.

"Now I believe you have a mission to prepare for," Beckman says, refocusing Bela's attention.

"Yeah-yes, yes I do," she nods, chewing on her lip. "Thank you."

* * *

"Three years… three years of missions, training-I'm his friend? How could all of that have been a lie?" Chuck asks, shaking his head as Sarah and him pack for the mission.

"I don't know; some people change. The longer you're a spy the line between right and wrong becomes more and more grey, you don't know what to believe in or who to believe in."

"I thought you had changed," she adds, glancing up at him.

"What do you mean?" he asks as he pulls on the backpack.

"Look, I know that you want to be the perfect spy and I know what it means to you and… what you've sacrificed to get there."

Chuck frowns, remembering his decision to not run away and start a normal life with her.

"But please don't lose that guy that I met three years ago," she finishes, smiling lightly before looking down. "Don't give up on the things that make you great."

"I'll always be that guy," he says, refusing to take the gun she offered. "Sarah, I-"

"Hey," Bela says, joining the two. She glances between them momentarily before shrugging, deciding not to ask questions about their conversation. "Beckman just left, are we all packed?"

Chuck and Sarah watch as she picks up the gun Chuck refused earlier, strapping it to her side.

"What?" she asks at their looks.

"Nothing, no, uh, what did Beckman want to talk to you about?" Chuck asks as Sarah secures her own gun.

"You'll never believe it," Bela scoffs, shaking her head. "But we should probably focus on the Laudanol. So, the only reason that Keller would go to all that trouble to break Casey out would be if he still didn't have it."

"Which means if we get to it before Casey does, we have a shot at catching him," Chuck says, Bela nodding slowly.

"Yeah, except there's nothing left in the apartment," Sarah adds.

"What about the Buy More?" he asks.

"No, Casey's smarter than that, he knows he would never get past those security cameras undetected," Sarah says, shaking her head. "He would have to use somebody."

"And that someone would have to be either desperate, stupid or just plain willing to do anything to impress him," Bela says slowly as she watches the security feed from the Buy More. Chuck and Sarah move to see what she was staring at, Morgan nervously walking across the screen into the Buy More.

"I've got this," Chuck sighs, making his way up the stairs as Sarah and Bela hold back.

"How're you doing?" Sarah asks, Bela glancing across at Sarah as they grab the rest of the equipment for the mission.

Bela lets out a laugh, running a shaky hand through her hair before frowning.

"I… I just don't even know how to answer that right now," she sighs. "You know, Shaw told Beckman that we've begun a relationship… I don't-_I_ wouldn't even call this a relationship, I don't know what it is."

"That's… surprising, although Shaw's wife was a CIA agent, I assume they met on the job as well," Sarah says thoughtfully, Bela frowning as she thinks this over. "What?"

"I'm still Casey's wife," she says, her brow furrowed as she considers what that meant now. "During one of our arguments, I told him to get the divorce papers and I'd sign them, so he could be rid of me but he never did, at least I don't think he did."

"He never did," Sarah confirms, confusing Bela even more.

If Casey didn't want to be with her anymore, didn't want a relationship with her, then why stay married? It didn't make sense.

She's pulled from her thoughts as Sarah's phone rings, Chuck confirming that he intercepted Morgan and had the pills.

"Great, well I assume Casey's waiting for Morgan somewhere?" Bela says, Sarah nodding.

"Casey's apartment," she says before hesitating. "Are you sure you want to come? Will you be okay to face him?"

"I need answers," Bela shrugs, following her up the stairs.

* * *

"What if he's here? What will we do?" Chuck whispers, Bela and him standing outside Casey and formerly Bela's apartment.

"We'll deal with it," she shrugs, frowning as she turns the key. "I'm surprised he hasn't had the locks changed."

The two slowly move in, Chuck pushing the door shut behind them.

"Where's Grimes?" Casey asks the pair, both freezing as he moves out from behind the door.

They spin around, watching him stalk towards them.

"You convinced the little rodent to give you the case, didn't you? I knew he was weak," he says, reaching for his gun. "Tell me where it is, now."

They slowly raise their hands, Bela staring across at him with mixed emotions.

"Don't make me do this, sweetheart," Casey growls, Bela's breath catching in her throat at the pet name he hadn't spoken in weeks.

"Don't shoot," Chuck interrupts, the two noticing Sarah move in behind Casey.

"Give me the case and I won't have to."

"I believed in you," Bela says quietly, Casey returning his attention to her. "I trusted you."

"Don't-" Casey starts as she takes a step towards him, forcing him to press the gun against her chest.

"I know everything, Casey, I know everything okay," she says calmly, his hands shaking. "I know that you used to be Alex Coburn. I know that you work for James Keller, that you stole the Laudanol for The Ring."

He swallows hard as she continues, her eyes never leaving his.

"The only thing I don't know is why."

Sarah readies her gun as they wait for Casey to respond, Chuck too scared to do or say anything as he watches the former couple stand-off.

Slowly Casey lowers his gun, glancing at Sarah behind him before turning back to Bela.

"Alex Coburn… _I_ had a fiancée, before you, long before you," Casey says, watching Bela's reaction. "And now she thinks I'm dead, and if I don't turn over the Laudanol to The Ring they're gonna kill her."

Sarah lowers her gun, making her way to Chuck's side as Bela moves around Casey into the kitchen.

She pours a glass of water, cursing as the glass slips through her fingers and into the sink. Casey joins her at the noise, immediately pulling her hands away from the shards of glass before she can touch them.

"I got it, just leave it," he says, pouring her another glass. He guides her back into the living room where she takes a seat next to Chuck and Sarah on the couch, Casey grabbing something along the way before carefully handing her the water.

"Thanks," she mumbles, taking a small sip. He takes the glass before replacing it with a set of photo booth printouts.

"Her name is Kathleen McHue," he says as the three stare at the images. "Twenty years ago she was the girl I was gonna marry, the love of my life."

Bela stiffens at this, but remains silent as he continues.

"But to be a spy and protect our country I had to give up that life and now she's gonna die because of a decision I made."

"No, we're not gonna let that happen," Sarah says, speaking for the others as Bela remains silent, Chuck glancing at her.

"If I don't deliver the Laudanol to his location in the next hour they're gonna kill her," he says.

"Then what are we waiting for, let's go save her," Bela says, the others following as she stands up.

"If I don't show at the meet, Keller will know something's wrong," Casey says, surprised at her reaction.

"Well then Chuck and I will go to Kathleen's," she says simply, turning to Chuck who nods slowly, confused at Bela's reaction as well.

"Yeah, yeah, we'll go," he agrees. "Look, just give us the address, we'll sneak her out of there, put her in a safe house."

"We will protect her, Casey, I promise," Bela says, Casey watching her before frowning.

"You could be charged with treason; hell you didn't even know I was Alex Coburn until today."

"I don't care who you _were_," she says firmly. "I know who you _are_. And you're not in this alone."

The two stare at each other in silence, Chuck turning to Sarah, the two clearly uncomfortable.

"Keller still expects you at the meet, what are we gonna do?" Sarah asks, interrupting them.

"Let's go to a meeting," Casey says, taking his gun back out.

* * *

"You gonna be able to keep your cover?" Chuck asks, Bela and him glancing around before making their way towards Kathleen's house.

"It's fine," she says quickly, clutching a clipboard tightly as he follows her up the stairs to the door.

"Maybe I should do the talking," he offers as she knocks, earning a glare from her.

"I've got this, Chuck," she growls, turning and smiling wide as the door opens.

Chuck glances at her as she remains silent, clearing his throat and bringing her back from her thoughts.

"Hi, uh, Miss McHugh?" she asks, her smile faltering slightly.

"Yes, may I help you?" Kathleen asks confused, looking over their uniforms.

"Yes, we're with the gas company," Bela explains, pointing at the clipboard in her hand. "We were just checking your meter here out back and yeah, we do detect a gas leak I'm sorry to tell you so we need you to leave with us."

"C'mon!" Chuck says, Kathleen's eyes widening in surprise as she follows them.

"Oh, sh…" Bela whispers, Chuck and her seeing Keller's men pull up out the front of the house.

"Back inside the house, back inside the house quick!" he says, turning around.

"But I thought you said-"

"Ignore everything I said previously, the gas leak is actually outside the house," Bela lies, Kathleen staring at her in disbelief.

"What?"

"Trust us, ma'am, it's our job to smell these things see we've been doing it for years, the whole cul-de-sac could blow! Right now! So we need you back inside! Inside!"

"Oh!" Kathleen gasps as Bela ushers her inside, Chuck following closely. "Okay, this is getting kind of weird."

Chuck and Bela stare out the front window before glancing at each other.

"Who are you really?"

"I'm sorry," Bela says, spinning around to face her. "I promise we're not crazy… this is for your own good."

"Huh-hey!" Kathleen screams as Bela pushes her into a closet, setting a chair under the handle to keep her locked in.

"Don't judge me," Bela mutters, ignoring Chuck's look of disbelief before they turn back to the front door, seeing Keller's men outside.

"Gas company, Miss McHugh," one of the men calls, knocking on the door.

"We're the gas company," Chuck growls, Bela pulling off her uniform as he holds up his watch. "Guys, how far away are you?"

"Five minutes," Sarah answers. "Look, anything immediate you're gonna have to handle yourselves."

"Yeah, well everything is immediate," he says, panicking.

"Well then one of you needs to flash!"

"I can't, there's too many of them and Bela hasn't exactly been in the calmest of states at present," he says, watching her finish changing out of the gas company uniform.

"Bela, no," he says, realising she was going to pretend to be Kathleen.

"What other choice do we have," she mutters, making her way to the door.

"Take the pills!" Casey yells through the watch, stopping her mid-step.

"What pills?" Chuck asks as she moves back to his side.

"You gave them the pills?" Sarah asks, incredulous.

"They're in your right pocket, Chuck, the Laudanol was developed to calm emotions, eliminate fear," Casey explains. "It can make you the intersects you were always supposed to be."

"Gas company Miss McHugh, open up!" Keller's men call as they two stare down at the pills in their hands.

Chuck watches her, her eyes unsure for a moment before she makes her decision, opening her mouth.

"Wait, are you sure?" he asks, watching her hesitate briefly.

"I'm sure," she nods, the two swallowing the pills as Keller's men break in and aim their weapons on the two. "Hi."

"I just checked the meter, everything's fine," Chuck says, the two holding their hands up. He groans as he's stuck across the face with one of their guns, falling to the floor in a heap.

Bela narrows her eyes, flashing as she hears them pull Kathleen from the cupboard.

"Hey, wait a second-who-you're not from the gas company!"

"Hey!" Bela yells as they knock Kathleen unconscious, Chuck flashing from the floor.

"Your turn," two of the men smirks, turning to her.

"I'm not afraid," she says, hearing Chuck come to his feet at her side. "Of any of you."

They dodge their bullets, each knocking out a man each.

Bela kneels down, picking up broken pieces of the stair railing before handing one to Chuck as they move into the kitchen.

She ducks as a bullet flies over her shoulder, and she strikes the man across the head with her makeshift weapon. Turning back around, she sees Chuck fighting two men in the living room before joining him. She kicks a man from behind as he attempts to slash Chuck with the knife in his hand. He drops it, but manages to elbow her in the throat, pinning her against the wall and cutting off her air supply.

Chuck finishes his fight, anger clouding his eyes as he sees Bela slipping out of consciousness. He punches the man, wrapping his hand around his throat as he pushes him into the wall, Bela slowly slipping to the ground as she gasps for air.

"Chuck! Chuck, stop!" Sarah yells, running into the room as she sees him killing the man.

He slowly turns his head, seeming to stare right through her before realising his actions and releasing him.

He stares at her in shock before looking down at his hands as he comprehends what he was about to do.

They continue staring at each other; Bela's coughing bringing them back to the present.

"Hey," Chuck says, kneeling next to her and helping her to her feet.

"Are you alright?" Sarah asks, frowning at the bruising already forming on the other woman's neck.

"Yeah," she whispers, her throat raspy. "I'll be…"

Bela pauses, watching as Casey kneels down next to an unconscious Kathleen, his hand gently caressing her face as she slowly comes to.

"…Fine."

* * *

"The authorities just arrived, Miss McHugh," Casey says, Kathleen resting on the couch as Chuck and Sarah watch from the doorway.

"Mom," a young woman says, rushing into the house.

"Alex," Kathleen says, embracing her as Casey spins around, his eyes wide as he watches the two.

Chuck and Sarah exchange knowing looks before turning to him.

"Casey, wait," Chuck says, stopping as he moves to leave. "You can't just-"

"What's dead is dead," he interrupts, keeping his voice low. "It's too late now."

Chuck sighs as Casey moves past him, stopping on the doorstep as he sees the medics looking over Bela outside.

He makes his way over, reaching them as they finish up.

"You're okay?" he asks, his eyes focusing on the bruising marking her neck.

She nods, her eyes staring down at her hands as she refuses to look at him.

"Bela-"

"We should be getting back to castle," Sarah says, Bela looking up at the welcome interruption. She inadvertently meets Casey's eyes, her throat tightening painfully as they stare at each other for a moment.

"Your daughter is beautiful," she whispers, trying to offer a smile as she makes her way past him.

* * *

"Despite the success of the mission, Colonel Casey, you abused your privileged position and if you were anyone else you would be right back in jail," Beckman says, addressing the four in person. He nods solemnly as she continues.

"But you are not just anyone, and I'm about to give you your second, second chance which is two more than most people get."

Chuck and Sarah exchange hopeful looks at her words as Casey and Bela sit in silence, their expressions blank.

"Thank you, General," he says quietly.

"Second chance, as a civilian," Beckman finally says, the four staring up at her in shock.

"Um, but uh General, Casey has given his entire life to this country I mean surely you can't just make him start over," Chuck tries, glancing at Bela for her input but she remained silent.

"He's done it once before," the General says, Casey glancing up at her. "He shouldn't have a problem doing it again."

"For the final time, you are dismissed."

Casey stands at this, his hand at his head ready to salute her.

"Good luck, John," she says, holding out her hand for him to shake. He slowly lowers his, reaching out and taking her hand.

"Mister Bartowski, please escort _Mister_ Casey off government property."

The three stand, Casey nodding at Sarah, pausing as his eyes meet Bela's. He saw the tears that were threatening to fall and quickly cleared his throat, turning and walking past Chuck who followed silently.

"I want to commend you, Agent Walker, for your work with the intersects, they seem to need you less and less."

"Yes," Sarah nods, glancing at Bela who still kept silent, seeming to not be paying attention to the conversation. "Chuck and Bela have certainly changed and are well on their way to becoming the perfect spies."

"A while back you requested a transfer out of Burbank and I haven't forgotten," Beckman adds, gaining Bela's interest. "There's an empty seat on my flight back to DC if you'd still like to go. We could discuss it on the way."

"I leave in an hour if you'd like to join me, Agent Walker," she says before turning to Bela. "Isabela, have a safe flight in the morning."

Bela nods, Sarah turning to her as Beckman leaves.

"Flight?" she asks confused.

"Shaw," Bela explains.

"Of course," Sarah nods. "Look, about what Beckman said-I asked for that transfer a while ago, it's not recent-"

"Was it after Prague?" Bela asks softly, Sarah nodding.

"Look, I understand, I do, but I just thought lately that, well, that Chuck and you have become a lot closer," she shrugs. "I thought you two were working things out."

"We are," Sarah nods, smiling. "I just want to make sure he's still the same Chuck that I…"

"That you fell in love with?" Bela offers, smirking.

"Yes," Sarah laughs, nodding as she remembers the events of the day. "But watching him nearly kill one of Keller's men today…"

"I've killed before," Bela says quietly, not meeting Sarah's eyes. "It was self-defence, but I mean… well, do you think I'm different?"

"Bela, you can't deny that you've changed since I first met you," Sarah sighs, smiling. "You were a completely different person back then, you fell in love-"

"Yeah, a lot has changed," she interrupts, letting out a small laugh. "But I'm not a cold blooded killer, and neither is Chuck, okay? Just… please don't go to DC."

Sarah smiles, resting a hand on Bela's shoulder as she moves past.

* * *

"See, this space can work," Chuck says, setting down a pile of books in Casey's apartment. It was now quite sparse, all weapons and equipment gone. Casey was sat at the table attending to his bonsai tree.

"It'll be great for civilian life I mean look around, I know half-well, most of these things are Bela's but hey you've got a … nice chair."

Chuck reaches into his pocket, taking out the photos of Casey and Kathleen.

"You know you can still go back," he says, walking over to him.

"The General made the terms of my dismissal crystal clear."

"I was talking about Kathleen," he says, tossing the photos in front of him, Casey staring down at them.

"She lives right around here, man and uh, you've got a daughter, Casey."

Casey stands, turning to face Chuck.

"You know I made my decision between love and love of country a long time ago," he whispers, nodding at Chuck. "And it was the right decision for me."

Chuck nods, Casey pausing before continuing.

"You have to make a decision whether that's the right one for you. Walker's a good woman."

Chuck stares up at him in silence.

"It's still not too late," Casey says, his eyes widening in realisation as he turns and grabs his jacket.

"Wait, where are _you_ going?" Chuck asks confused.

"Taking my own advice," he says, rushing through the door, leaving Chuck staring after him.

* * *

Bela looks up suddenly, the knocking on her door disrupting her evening of reality show viewing. She sighs, setting aside the tub of ice cream and getting to her feet, slowly making her way to the door.

"Casey?" she asks, confused to see him standing there. She expected Chuck, or even Sarah or Ellie. "What are you doing, you shouldn't be here."

"Is Shaw here?" he asks, seeing the packed bag by the door as he looks behind her into the apartment.

"No, he's still in DC, why?"

"I just need to say something," he says, watching her carefully. She obviously wasn't expecting company, dressed in an oversized shirt that looked very similar to one he'd been missing for quite some time.

"Alright," she sighs, folding her arms across her chest.

"Look, you're with Shaw now, I know that," he nods, sighing. "And I respect your decision to stay with him, it's smart. He's a great spy, you'll be… he'll take care of you."

"John," she sighs, shaking her head. "I-"

"Just let me say this… please," he says and she nods. "I know I'm a civilian now, everything I was when we met, the person you fell in love with it's-I'm-look, I'm not going to be as exciting, but if you think I'm not going to be the same man…"

He hesitates, swallowing hard as he takes a step towards her.

"What are you doing?" she asks quietly, staring up at him.

"I made my decision between love and love of country a long time ago," he says, repeating his earlier words to Chuck. "And it was the right decision for me."  
"I know," she nods. "Why are you telling me this?"

"Don't you get it?" he asks, moving closer again. "This time I'm choosing different."

He hasn't touched her in weeks, hasn't kissed her since she first mentioned the name Alex Coburn. Her eyes widen as he wraps his arms around her, his mouth crashing down on hers.

"Casey," she whispers as they part. "What do you-?"

"I'm choosing you," he says, staring down at her. "I'm choosing _you_, Isabela. I love you."

"I love you more than I've ever loved anything, _anyone_, in my life," he whispers, her eyes watering at his words.

"I love you, too," she nods, kissing him lightly before pulling away, causing him to frown. "But that doesn't change everything you said to me. How do I know you won't change your mind again?"

"Change my mind..?" he asks before shaking his head. "You believed that crap?"

"You were pretty damn convincing."

"Of course I didn't mean it-not a word!" he yells in disbelief. "I knew you were pissed at me, but I thought at least a part of you knew."

"I thought you never loved me, that it was just a lie…" she whispers, realisation hitting her.

She gasps as he suddenly grabs her, pulling her hard against his body as his mouth covers hers, his lips pressing into hers firmly. He's missed the feel of her skin, the smell of her, taste of her tongue, taste of her body. She smells different, too. He pulls her to him, breaking the kiss and holding on to her.

She curls into him for a moment, the coolness of her skin chilling him at first, and then gently pushes away to shut the door, setting the lock in place.

Bela reaches down, lifting the shirt over her head and letting it drop behind her. He moves towards her again, catching her mouth with his, running his hands over her body. Her nipples harden readily, and he breaks away from her mouth to suckle them, moving his hands to her waist. She touches his hair as she pulls at his shirt.

He pulls it off, feels her fingers settle against his skin, her thumbs stroking the outline of muscle and he sucks in his breath, reels a little with the dizziness of her, of his need, of the gnawing in his gut and the tugging in his groin.

They finish undressing swiftly and silently, and he moves to the couch, catching her hand and pulling her down with him. He turns, presses against her, and feels her muscle and curve and bone, her thighs and her sex against him.

He rests his hand on her waist, rubbing soft circles as her mouth meets his again as she slides her thigh over his hip.

She reaches down, holds him in her hand, squeezing, stroking and he groans into her mouth, tightening his hold on her waist, and when she guides him into her, slides against him and over him, he feels the root of his body fit tightly against her and they both moan, just a little, at the fit, at the catch.

They move slowly, the strokes of their hips matching soft touches, wet kisses. She is tight around him, slick, but he can't build much of a pace, can't create enough friction. Her hip bones press into his skin, and his thumbs leave marks on her arms as she whimpers, moves her mouth, sinks her teeth into the join of his neck and asks for more.

It's all he needs and he grips her hand as it rests on his chest, and rolls her over. He's inside her still, her muscles contracting around him, eyes dark and slightly unfocused, arm over her head, his fingers wrapped around her wrist. She raises her other arm, and he holds them together loosely, bracing himself as she tightens her muscles, pulls back her knee so it rests along his side, snug against his ribs.

He slides out of her, finally feeling the welcome burn of friction, gasping as the cool air hits him. She watches him, and he slides back into her, slowly, heavy and full, all the way in, and then withdraws again. He repeats himself, faster and harder, watching the flush begin to spread over her skin.

She rolls her hips forward, meeting his thrusts and he speeds up. They grind together, and it's a struggle to hang on to her wrists, but she doesn't fight him, just relaxes into him, lets him fill her up, slam into her body, make her sweat, make her come.

When she gasps, when her eyes close and her back arches, he's relieved, lets himself follow her before shuddering home, before letting himself go.

"If you ever, for a second, doubt how I feel about you," he whispers, his voice shaky as they both try to regain their breaths. "Remember that."

She nods, smiling lazily up at him as he leans down to press a soft kiss against her lips. He moves back, helping pull her up to sit beside him.

"Oh, Casey," she whispers, staring at the chain around his neck as he pulls his head back. Her wedding ring was hanging from it, Bela realising he'd been wearing it the entire time they'd been apart.

"Didn't want to lose it," he explains, forgetting about the jewellery he'd been wearing under his shirts.

"Here," he says, lifting her hand in his as he places the ring on her finger.

She smiles down at her hand, her head resting on his shoulder before her eyes widen in realisation.

"Hey," he says, feeling her start to shudder against him. "What's wrong?"

"I can't wear it," she sobs, staring up at him. "Shaw-he'll know!"

He kisses her, wiping the tears from her face as he takes the ring from her.

"I'll keep it safe for you," he promises, and she nods, resting her hand on his chest.

"Everything is so messed up," she sighs, shaking her head.

"We'll work it out."

"I have to tell you something," she says after a moment. "Shaw told Beckman about him and me…that we're in a … _relationship_."

"Covering his own ass," he nods, thinking this over. "Because he's not officially your handler, Beckman wouldn't be able to find anything wrong with it other than it not being strictly professional on his part."

She nods at this before sighing. He watches her in silence, his eyes moving to what he suspects was her dinner.

"Your ice cream melted," he notes, Bela leaning forward and picking up the container.

He watches as she looks inside, tipping the contents up and drinking it.

She grins at him as she finishes, setting the now empty container back on the table.

"I can't believe I'm saying this, but I've even missed that part of you," he mutters, pulling her back against him as his lips meet hers. She smiles against his lips, moving to straddle his lap as her phone sounds.

"Shaw?" he asks and she nods, picking up her phone.

She quickly reads the message, moving to her feet as she replies before setting the phone down on the counter.

"I should go," Casey says, standing.

"You could stay?" she offers and he considers it for a moment, his eyes running over her as he hesitates.

"No," he decides, shaking his head. "We need to keep this from Shaw, and the others as well, we can't risk him finding out about us and-"

"And what?" she asks, her eyes widening as she realises something. "What would happen if he found out? You're a civilian now, he can't do anything!"

"He'd come up with some reason for Beckman to remove me from the area or transfer you, probably to DC," he explains, sighing. "It's why I had to pretend to leave you."

She shakes her head as she takes it all in.

"I don't know what to say," she whispers and looks up as she hears him move past her, smiling as she feels him place something in her hands. "Thank you."

"You looked cold," he smirks, glancing down at her breasts.

She lets out a laugh, pulling the shirt over her head and catching him staring at her.

"It's yours," she confirms, tugging at the hem. "Sorry."

"Looks better on you," he smirks, Bela following him to the door.

"Have a safe trip," he says, nodding at her bag. "When are you back?"

"Couple of days," she shrugs, wrapping her arms around herself. "I'll try to call you-"

"Best if you don't," he interrupts, catching the brief look of hurt cross her face. "Because of Shaw."

"Right," she nods, smiling as he leans down, his lips lingering on hers before he moves away.

"I'll see you soon," he promises and she nods. "I love you, Isabela Casey."

Her smile widens at these words, her eyes meeting his before he moves through the door.

"I love you, too, John Casey."

* * *

A/N: Yeah, there was no way I was keeping those two apart for much longer. Hope you enjoyed their little 'reunion' and also the new cover photo thing… as always, please review!


	48. Chuck vs The Final Exam

A/N: I hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas! This chapter poor Bela is stuck in DC, leaving Chuck to complete his final tests on his own. Will he be able to pass without his best friend by his side, or will Bela be the only one becoming a full agent? Please review!

* * *

"Hi, I'm here to see, uh, General Beckman?" Bela says, leaning down to the receptionist. She looks up at Bela in silence, regarding her attire with amusement.

She had on a loose fitting sweatshirt, that hung over her small pair black shorts. Her boots were _very_ well worn; she'd been hiding them from Casey for so long for fear of him tossing them out that she'd almost forgotten she'd had them. She looked, and felt, very much out of place.

"Hello, darling," Shaw says, and Bela glances across at him before smiling.

"Shaw, thank god a familiar face," she sighs in relief.

He closes the distance between them, embracing her as he guides her across the room, holding the door open for her as she moves into Beckman's office.

"Good morning, Miss Tiernan," she greets, nodding at the other woman from her desk. "Please take a seat."

"I wasn't aware I was going to be meeting with you, otherwise I would have packed something more…"

"It's fine," Beckman interrupts, Shaw taking a seat at Bela's side.

"_You_ could have told me!" Bela whispers, glaring across at him. He smirks, resting a hand on her bare leg before the two turn back to the General.

"Miss Tiernan, for the past week Shaw and I have been in meetings, discussing Mister Bartowski's and your future," she begins, Shaw nodding proudly.

"Our future?"

"As you may recall, your first solo mission also involved you completing your first kill," Beckman explains, Bela stiffening at the memory. Both Chuck and her had been assigned separate missions; Chuck's on a plane to Paris, while hers a little closer to home. They both needed to secure keys from their targets, and after her cover being blown, Bela had been forced to kill the man.

"Yeah, I remember," she mutters, glancing at Shaw as he squeezes her leg.

"Normally in order to become a spy, there is a final test each agent will need to complete; you are ordered to kill a target of our choosing," she continues. "More often than not, they are corrupt spies."

Bela frowns as she thinks this over; was she ready to make another kill? She barely survived the last one, the agent almost beating her senseless before she could retrieve her gun.

"General, I'm not sure what you're saying?"

"We've discussed your past missions with Agent Walker, your experience and skill level with weapons in the field," Shaw explains, Bela looking across at him. "Beckman and I both agree that your performance to date along with your successful first kill is sufficient to grant you your promotion."

"Promotion?" Bela asks, becoming even more confused.

"Congratulations," Beckman says, sliding an envelope across the desk to her.

Bela slowly reaches for it, Shaw nodding at her to open it.

"You are now officially an agent," she continues as Bela stares down at her own badge and gun.

"Bela?" Shaw asks at her silence, her eyes wide as she glances between the two.

"I'm sorry, this is just a lot to take in," she whispers, shaking her head. "What does-um… what about Chuck?"

Beckman looks across at Shaw before turning her attention to Bela.

"Mister Bartowski will be undertaking his final tests over the next few days," she informs her. "If successful, he will be joining you here for your final inductions and processing."

"Chuck will have to kill someone?" Bela asks quietly, Beckman nodding.

"I'll be flying back to Burbank briefly to inform him of his mission," Shaw adds, offering Bela a smile.

"I can come too, right?" she asks, hopeful. Her smile falters at the look on Shaw's face, her eyes moving to Beckman as she clears her throat.

"We think it's best to keep the two of you separated for the duration of the testing; while you have proven yourself more than capable in the field, Mister Bartowski needs to demonstrate his competence without any assistance from a handler or you."

"I'll be back in no time," Shaw promises, taking Bela's hand in his and squeezing it lightly. "You won't be alone in DC for long."

"It's not me I'm worried about," she whispers, staring down at her gun.

* * *

"Casey, what did you just do!?" Chuck asks, joining him at the Nerd Herd desk. Casey glances at him, shrugging as he stalks away from Lester and Jeff; both on the ground after Casey knocked their heads together.

"What are you still doing here, I though you clocked out?" he asks, picking up the pairs neglected nerf guns.

"Yeah, yeah I did but I thought I'd take a second to see how you're adjusting to civilian life; apparently not that great."

Chuck points behind him as Jeff and Lester slowly get to their feet, still stunned as they glare at Casey's retreating form.

"Baby steps."

"More like baby kicks to the groin, we got to get you reinstated buddy without a licence to kill you are a menace to society," Chuck says, walking with him. "Listen, listen, I'm gonna talk to Beckman and I'm gonna tell her if she doesn't give you your job back, I'm quitting."

"Don't be ridiculous," Casey scoffs.

"That's not ridiculous, I'm gonna ask Sarah and Bela to do the same thing, buddy," he adds before frowning. "That is if Bela ever calls me back, you know she's still in DC with Shaw? Talk about a long weekend in snoresville."

"Listen up, Chuck," Casey says, ignoring the stirring in his chest at the mention of Bela's name. "I disobeyed orders; I put my team and my country in danger, this is my job now. I made my bunk and I'll lie in it. Unlike you, I know when something's over."

Chuck narrows his eyes at him, the two glancing across at Big Mike's office as Casey is called to it.

"Look, you were put in an impossible position, okay? You had no choice."

"It's America, Chuck, everybody has a choice," Casey smirks as he leaves.

* * *

"Look, can I at least fly back to get some more things?" Bela sighs, folding her arms across her chest in frustration as she watches Shaw finish packing his own clothes. "I wasn't aware this was a business trip."

Shaw chuckles at her expression, moving to her side and resting his hands on her arms.

"As soon as Chuck completes his tests, we'll fly him here," he says, Bela frowning even more. "You can meet him at the airport; yours will be the first familiar face he sees."

She smiles a little at this before frowning again.

"And my clothes?"

He smiles as he slides his hands into the back pockets of her shorts, gently squeezing.

"While I am fond of your current attire, I'll swing by your apartment and grab some things," he says, leaning down and pressing his lips against hers. "Okay?"

She nods and he rests his head on her shoulder, closing his eyes momentarily as he breathes her in.

"You're leaving now, aren't you?" she asks, already knowing the answer.

"Sorry," he apologises, standing up straight and meeting her eyes. "I'll be back before you know it, and you can enjoy the city while I'm gone."

"I'm allowed to leave unsupervised?" she asks sceptically, and he shakes his head, moving to the window.

"I meant the view," he smirks, Bela glaring across at him as his phone sounds. He takes it out, reading the message before moving to her side.

"I'll see you soon, darling," he says, and she tries not to cringe at his nickname for her as his lips press against hers, Bela allowing herself to move into his arms.

"Call if you need anything," he says and she nods, watching him pick up his bags before leaving. She moves to the door, resting her head against it as she glances across the extravagant hotel room, her stomach dropping as her eyes landed on the unmade bed they'd been sharing. Casey had said to keep playing nice with Shaw, but she didn't think this is exactly what he'd meant.

* * *

"Bela?" Chuck asks excitedly as he hears a woman curse, his pace quickening as he descends the castle stairs.

"No, sorry Chuck," Sarah says, rubbing her head as she crawls out from under the table.

"Oh, hey," he smiles, trying to hide his disappointment. "I thought maybe Bela was back... she hasn't returned any of my calls so I guess I just hoped-"

"I wouldn't worry too much," Sarah interrupts, offering him a small smile. "She's been in a lot of meetings, some that concern you actually, talking about your and her futures."

"Her and my-_my_ future? No, no, no it's Casey's future that we need to be concerned with okay? We've got to get him reinstated."

"I know, Chuck, and I would like nothing more than to get him reinstated but-"

"Casey's status is none of your concern," Shaw interrupts, Chuck spinning around with the hope that Bela would be beside him. "There's business to attend to however, which very much concerns you."

Chuck glares at him, his disappointment resurfacing at the absence of his best friend.

"Good morning, team," Beckman addresses the three from the screen. "Have you told him anything yet?"

"Told me what?" Chuck asks, staring up at her.

"After much deliberation, it has been decided that you are ready for a mission that will test everything that you have learned so far, a final spy test, if you will," she says, Shaw smiling as he watches Chuck's reaction.

"Ohh... a test, yeah no problem!" Chuck nods. "I'm a whizz with a number two pencil, _scantron_."

"Chuck, if you fail to complete the mission, which you'll undertake by yourself, then you'll go back to your old life," Sarah says, frowning. She hated seeing the smile vanish from his face, but he needed to know.

"But if you succeed, you will be promoted," Beckman adds, redirecting Chuck's attention back to her. "No more Buy More, no more handlers, just real missions for a real spy. You will be based out of Rome; your cover will be that of a billionaire industrialist."

"Serious-seriously?" Chuck asks quietly, his mind racing as he tries to take it all in. "Monte bene, this is fantastic! We're all gonna have to brush up on our Italiano, you know what I mean?"

Sarah averts her eyes as Chuck grins at her, Beckman interrupting again.

"No, Chuck, just you," Beckman clarifies for him. "Agents Walker, Tiernan and Shaw will be based in DC and continue to head counter Ring operations there. You will deploy before them."

"Bela's staying in DC?" Chuck asks his expression blank as he stares up at the General. "DC. Not... not Rome."

Chuck catches Sarah's eye before they both turn back to the screen.

"You will get your mission specifics tomorrow, your spy test will start then," Beckman says before nodding. "Good luck."

"You can do this Chuck, you can pass this test," Shaw encourages, Chuck slowly turning to him. "It's everything you've been working toward."

Chuck nods, Shaw clearing his throat as his phone rings.

"Excuse me," he says, nodding at the two before answering. "Hello, darling."

Chuck's eyes widen at this, realising that it was Bela on the other end as Shaw leaves the room.

"Congratulations, Chuck," Sarah says quietly, pulling him from his thoughts. "It looks like you're gonna get everything that you've always wanted."

* * *

"_Hey Bells, me again. I don't know what's happening with you at the moment, or why you won't take my calls but I'm going to keep trying, and I won't stop until I hear your voice, and know that you're okay. Look, I don't know if this is about Casey, if you're still upset about ending things, or-"_

"_Me again, stupid machine. Anyway, I know that you're with Shaw and that's-that's whatever, it's weird but you're happy, and that's all that I want but Bells I don't trust the guy, and Casey, well, he's not coping so well. It might just be from being kicked back to civilian life or-"_

"_Bells, seriously, I know you're getting these! I think you need to come back, if not for me than for Casey. Even if you don't love him anymore, he's still our friend and clearly he misses you... we all do. There's so much I want to talk to you about, even unimportant stuff like-"_

"_...seriously? Are you serious? You're not going to pick up? You're not even going to reply to a simple text? I thought we were close again. It was hell not having you as a best friend when we were fighting and now you won't even speak to me, you're not even here, I haven't seen you-"_

"_-fine. You'll call when you're ready, I guess. Just... please make it soon. I need to talk to you. I need my best friend."_

Bela tosses her phone across the hotel room, hearing it land with a thud somewhere near the window as she buries her face in one of the many pillows covering the bed. She lets out a scream, the sound muffled by the fabric as her body starts to shake, her tears soaking through the material. She continues to sob until she finally drifts off to sleep, exhausted.

* * *

"Guess who," Chuck says, his phone against his ear as he finishes setting up the equipment. "I'm on a mission, so far so good. I don't know if you've heard, but it's kind of a big deal. I don't know, I'm nervous but-but I think I'm ready for this Bells, I think I can do this, and... and finally become a spy."

"Hey Chuck," Sarah says, watching him end the call before turning to face her. "Everything looks good, it doesn't seem like you've missed a trick."

"Uh yeah, thanks," he nods, moving towards her. "There is one more thing, though."

He opens one of the cases, revealing everything needed for dinner for two.

"Ta da," he smiles, taking out the bottle of champagne. "Nobody throws a stakeout like Chuck Bartowski; you can put that in my secret file."

Sarah watches as he pours them each a glass, Chuck setting the bottle down as he picks up one of the takeout containers.

"So tell me, do the words sizzling shrimp ring a bell?"

"From our very first stakeout," Sarah smiles as he unpacks the case. "How could I forget."

"That's right," Chuck laughs, the two moving to their seats in front of the surveillance.

He glances at Sarah before hitting play on his iPod, the speakers playing a familiar song.

"Also from our first stakeout," she smirks.

"And yet timeless," Chuck nods, smiling across at her. "You're gonna miss me in DC, you know that right?"

"I know."

"So um, is Bela ever coming back?" he asks, taking a mouthful of food as Sarah thinks over her answer. "I mean, are Shaw and her going to be living together? Are they real serious, or what?"

"Uhh, I don't know, it's... it's different," she says quietly.

"Different how?"

"Than with Casey," she answers, Chuck glancing across at her before his phone sounds.

"It's Shaw," he says, turning off the music as he stands, holding his phone to his ear. "Yeah, hello."

"Is there a problem?" Shaw asks.

"Uh no, no problem here, why would there be a problem, can I talk to you after the mission?"

"You should have your earpiece in already," Shaw sighs. "Is Sarah there?"

"Yeah, Sarah's right here, she just got here what a coincidence, hey Sarah, how are ya? Thanks for the reminder about the earpieces."

"Anatoli and the mole could arrive any minute, Chuck. Stay on the ball; it's all you out there."

"Okay, talk to you soon, bye," Chuck says before hanging up. He quickly gets the earpieces, Sarah and him putting them in as they stare through their binoculars.

"I've been... I've been thinking about what it used to be like between us," Chuck says, breaking the silence. "Before Prague, and uh, thinking about what life would be like for us if we'd made different decisions back then."

Sarah remains silent as Chuck lowers his binoculars.

"If I'd made a different decision back then. Look, I know we couldn't be together before, because I wasn't a real spy but if I pass this test then we wouldn't have to choose between the job and us. If I pass this test then we can be together. That is, of course, if you're willing to give it another shot."

Sarah lowers her binoculars, turning to Chuck as the two stare at each other for a moment. They slowly begin to move closer, their faces inches away as Shaw interrupts via the earpieces.

"Did you see him, did you flash?"

"No-no I didn't, should I have?" Chuck asks, the two moving back in their seats.

"Anatoli's in the hotel, he just swiped a credit card he uses at the spa, how did you miss him?"

"I don't know," Chuck says, glancing at Sarah before standing. "I just did, I'm going after him."

"What? Sarah, give him the glasses."

"Wait, here, put these on they'll record everything and relay it back to castle," she says, handing Chuck a pair of glasses.

"Okay, Sarah get back to castle, you're on your own Chuck," Shaw says. "Now get in there before the mission, and your spy career are over."

"This isn't over," Chuck says to Sarah, putting on the glasses before leaving.

* * *

"_Bela would you just answer your phone! This is crazy, I know it's working, I heard you call Shaw... Please just talk to me... I have so much to tell you... Bells, please..."_

"_Guess you're busy, still. Sarah mentioned that you were in meetings, bet they're exciting. So I have some big news... Bells, I did it. I passed, I'm a spy! I'm still processing it all I guess, but I just wanted to tell you. I needed you to know."_

Bela stares down at her phone, her mouth slightly open as she takes in this new information. Chuck passed. He was a spy. Did that mean? Beckman and Shaw said that she couldn't communicate with him at all while he was completing his tests, but he'd passed.

Her fingers hit speed dial, her hand shaking slightly as she holds her phone to her ear.

"Hi, it's me," she says, clearing her throat as she listens to the voice on the other end.

* * *

"Hey there, colleague... peer," Chuck grins, walking up to Sarah in the Orange Orange. She turns to him, smiling.

"Ahh hey tell me, so when should I expect to receive my international spy union card, hmm?"

"You did a great job last night, Chuck," Sarah says, continuing to smile as she wipes down the display case. "Congratulations."

"Thank you, I appreciate that," he nods, watching her work. "Ah, so tell me and uh, this is just between the two of us just for the sake of conversation but uh as far as these tests go, do other people usually do as well as I did? Or did I do just historically well?"

Sarah smiles, looking down before her eyes meet his from behind the counter.

"Uh, listen Chuck I was hoping that you would be free for dinner tonight?" she asks.

"Yeah," he nods. "Yeah, uh of course in fact I was actually gonna ask you if you were free."

"So… how about Tracks? It's a restaurant down at Union Station," she suggests.

"Uh, yeah, it sounds great," he smiles. "Nothing wets the whistle like the sound of a nice long horn."

Sarah stares up at him blankly, not seeing the humour in Chuck's joke.

"Forget it, I'm very excited," he laughs, shaking his head.

"Well, don't be too excited."

"Let me finish, by excited I mean uh, cold as ice because you know now I am a real spy," he says, impersonating a train horn as he walks away. Sarah smiles to herself as she watches him leave.

* * *

"You made me proud," Big Mike says, addressing Casey in the Buy More.

"I gotta say, you were right," Casey nods. "It feels good not to be so wound up all the time.

"What'd it take; Subway can soothe the tummy and the soul."

"Ahh, did somebody say something about soothed tummies and souls?" Chuck asks, joining the two.

"I did," Big Mike nods proudly. "And I'm happy to say we've got ourselves a changed man, Chuck."

"Well, uh, I guess that makes two changed men," Chuck says after Big Mike leaves the two alone.

"What, you?" Casey asks.

"Yeah," Chuck says, glancing around them before lowering his voice. "Buddy I just passed my first solo spy test last night, this is it, I'm going to the show. I-I really wanted to tell you beforehand, I'm sorry that I didn't but you know, top secret, you understand."

"You took your test last night? And you passed?" Casey asks slowly. If Chuck was undertaking his spy tests, what did that mean for Bela? Why was she still in DC?

"Oh yeah," Chuck nods, regaining Casey's attention. "With flying colours, man. And I think we both know that I have you to thank for that so I-I wanted to give you a little something."

Casey stares down at the box in Chuck's hands, smirking a little as he takes it.

"I don't think they're gonna miss it down in castle, do you?"

Casey quickly shuts the box after seeing the gun, pulling Chuck into one of the aisles.

"You know that giving away a government issued firearm is a felony, don't you?" Casey asks before glancing down at the box, cradling it a little closer to his body. "It was a thoughtful felony."

"Honestly, everything is coming up roses right now, I passed my test," Chuck explains. "Uh, you are joining the world of human beings so I'm proud of you, kudos for that, and Sarah has invited me to dinner tonight, _alone_ at Union Station so..."

"Are you sure you've completed your test?" Casey asks, frowning.

"Yeah, like I said I passed," Chuck nods. "Celebration time, now."

"Hmm, okay," he says, still unsure. "You just be careful out there; ready for anything."

"A good spy always is, right?" Chuck smirks, turning away as Casey grabs his arm.

"Hey, uh, is Bela completing her test as well?" he asks, hesitating slightly. He didn't want to ask, didn't want to mention her name, but he had to know. As far as anyone was concerned, they were finished. The marriage, and their cover, done. But the other night changed things for the both of them.

"Chuck?" he asks again when he doesn't answer. Chuck glances down at his shoes before meeting Casey's eyes.

"I don't know, buddy," he shrugs, trying to keep the concern from his face. He failed.

"You haven't spoken to her?"

"She won't pick up her phone! I've been calling her, left her voicemails, messages, but it seems that unless it's Shaw, she won't answer."

"So you've heard her speak to him? Heard her voice, she's okay?" he asks, immediately kicking himself for showing that he was worried.

"Hey," Chuck says, resting a hand on his arm. "Maybe it's time to move on. I mean she obviously has, Shaw's already calling her cutesy names and he spent all that time with her in DC."

Casey stiffens at this, Chuck removing his hand as he clears his throat.

"I mean, you're doing so well now from what Big Mike was saying, and now that you're a civilian maybe it's time to see what's out there? Start dating?"

Casey frowns, staring down at Chuck as he enthusiastically plans a night out for them, even going so far as to suggest inviting that bearded little-ugh. He'd just have to go along with it for the meantime.

"Yeah, sounds great," he nods, holding the box closer as he moves around Chuck. "Thanks for the gift, have fun tonight."

Chuck nods, watching him leave before checking his watch.

"Crap," he says, realising he needed to start getting ready for his date.

* * *

"Shaw," he says, holding his phone to his ear as he readies Chuck's final test. He pauses as he hears the shaky voice on the other end. "Hey, what is it?"

"Chuck," Bela breathes before regaining some composure. "I listened to his voicemails, he passed? He's a spy? That means I can call him, right? You'll be bringing him with you?"

Shaw lets out a sigh, pinching the bridge of his nose between his fingers as he closes his eyes briefly. Bartowski and his big mouth.

"It's not that simple, darling."

"No-no you said before you left! He just had to complete his spy tests and he'd be able to join me!"

"Tests, Bela; plural," Shaw reminds her. "Chuck still has one test left to complete."

Bela's throat tightens as she realises what this meant. Chuck hadn't killed anyone, not yet at least.

"W-when?" she asks quietly.

"Tonight," he says, glancing down at the folder. "I'll call you once he's done, if you like? And have a car bring you to the airport to meet us?"

Tonight. Her head was spinning. She wanted to be there for Chuck, she'd been through this, and she'd had to kill someone on her solo mission as well. She just hoped he came out of it a little better off than she did.

"Bela?"

"Yeah," she says, shaking her head clear. "Please."

"I'll talk to you soon," he says, watching on the screen as Casey enters the Orange Orange.

* * *

Sarah looks up, frowning as she sees Casey approach the counter.

"You shouldn't be here," she says quietly, and he waits for the two customers to leave before speaking.

"What's going on down there?" he asks, nodding his head at the door to castle.

"That's none of your concern anymore," she says, wiping down the display case.

"Like hell it isn't, Chuck told me he completed his spy training," he says, catching the flash of surprise cross her face before she shakes her head.

"He shouldn't have told you that."

"What's Bela doing in DC?" he asks, Sarah pausing her cleaning.

"That's also none of your concern."

"She's still my wife, I have a right to know," he says slowly, Sarah sighing as she sets down the cloth.

"You were meant to take care of that," she says, folding her arms across her chest. "She's with Shaw now, John. You need to move on."

"Just tell me what she's doing in DC; that she's okay."

Sarah sighs again, glancing across at the screen showing the main room of castle. Shaw was nowhere in sight, which meant he wasn't aware of Casey's presence, or his questions.

"Sarah, please," he asks again.

"You remember Bela's first solo mission?" she asks quietly, Casey scowling at the memory. He'd never forget the feeling of his blood turning to ice at the sight of her beaten and bloodied form as Shaw led her into Castle. She was a mess after having to kill her target.

"What?" he asks, catching Sarah's look. She was holding something back. "What aren't you telling me?"

"Shaw knew that Stearman was corrupt, that he'd have to be eliminated," she says, Casey realising where she was going with this. "He decided to have Bela do it; he knew his history and that she'd have no way out if she didn't… it was kill or be killed."

Sarah watches the emotions cross his face, his hands forming fists at his side as he takes a deep breath.

"That was completely dangerous and unnecessary!" he growls, shaking his head. "Bartowski never-"

"Look, Bela has proven herself time and time again that she's more than capable of handling herself in the field," she explains. "Shaw made the decision that-"

"Shaw's so infatuated with her he can't even see what he's doing! She was broken after killing Stearman, you saw how she was-I had to sew her up for Christ's sake!"

Sarah nods, the memory returning to her as well.

"He's going to change her, Sarah. If he doesn't get her killed first."

Sarah remains silent. He had a point, but what could be done? She glances down at the screen again, tensing as she sees Shaw ascending the stairs.

"Don't do or say anything you'll regret," Sarah whispers, the door to castle opening.

"John, you look well," Shaw greets, Sarah shooting Casey a look as he clenches his fists at the sight of the other man.

"Shaw," he nods, catching Sarah's eye.

"Walker, need you downstairs," he says, moving back towards the door before stopping.

"Hey, let Bartowski know that he needs to stop calling Bela; she has enough to deal with, she doesn't need a play-by-play of his latest escapades," Shaw says before making his way back downstairs.

"Sarah-"

"Go," she says, moving around the counter and holding the door open for him. "It's time to leave, John."

He sighs, following her across the store. He hesitates in the doorway, staring down at her.

"Enjoy your dinner with Bartowski," he says, Sarah looking up at him surprised. "He's a good kid, Walker."

She nods, a small smile breaking free as she watches him leave.

* * *

"Don't do it, don't do it, don't do it," Hunter Perry says, on the ground of the rail yard as Chuck stands over him, his gun trained on the other man. "Don't you see, this is exactly what they want."

"I gave you a chance," Chuck explains.

"Please," Hunter begs, his hands raised. "I had no choice."

Chuck tenses his finger on the trigger, but hesitates, Hunter taking the opportunity to try and draw his own gun before being shot dead.

Chuck stares down at his unfired weapon in surprise, turning and seeing Casey behind him, the gun he'd given as a gift in his hands. He nods at Chuck before moving away.

* * *

"What does all this mean, Casey?" Chuck asks, walking into the courtyard with him. "I mean technically I failed my test."

"You need to understand that to Walker, Shaw and Beckman-hell, even Bela, you passed the test," Casey explains. "To them, _you_ killed Perry doing exactly what you were trained to do."

"Yeah, except that I didn't do it, you did."

"Chuck, I'm a civilian," Casey growls before lowering his voice. "Which means technically, under the law what happened tonight was murder. No one can know the truth about that, _ever_. Not even Sarah, or Bela. They'd be implicated, too."

"But all that means that I'm still not a real spy," Chuck says, shaking his head. "I don't know who I am; I don't know _what_ I am."

"Can't answer that one for ya, Chuck."

Chuck sighs, moving past him before stopping.

"Hey," he says, turning to him. "Why did you do it?"

"Because you weren't going to," he says. "You're not a killer, Chuck."

"Thanks," he nods, turning back to his apartment.

"And, because Bela needs you, and you need her," he adds, Chuck pausing at this. "Shaw and Beckman would have warned her not to contact you during your tests, you know that right? Don't be mad at her for following orders."

Chuck watches Casey leave before unlocking his own apartment.

* * *

Bela fidgets as she watches the passengers move from the plane, her eyes searching the faces for his familiar one.

She sighs, folding her arms across her chest as she rests her back against the wall, closing her eyes briefly.

"Hey, stranger," Chuck says, Bela's eyes opening wide as she sees him standing in front of her, that stupid grin she'd missed so much plastered on his face.

She opens her mouth to say something, closing it quickly as a sob escapes, shaking her entire body as Chuck closes the space between them and pulls her into his arms.

"I'm sorry I didn't call you back but Beckman and Shaw, they said-"

"I know," he nods, rubbing her back.

"I can't believe you actually did it," she sobs, her face buried in his neck. "I never thought you'd-oh, Chuck!"

He pulls back slightly, his arms still remaining around her.

"You killed someone!" she whispers, staring up at him with wide eyes. "Your last test-I asked Shaw and he said… he said you killed your target."

Chuck stares down at her, conflicted whether to tell her the truth or not. He knew she wasn't with Casey anymore, but did that mean she would betray him?

She rests her hand against his face, her eyes quickly scanning him for any injuries.

"You seem to have done better than me, at least," she says softly, referring to her first kill.

He chuckles a little, pulling her tight against him again.

"Chuck, welcome to DC," Shaw nods, joining the pair as they separate. He notices Bela's expression, the tears still fresh on her face. "Are you alright, darling?"

'Darling?' Chuck mouths, screwing up his face at Shaw's pet name for her. She wipes away the tears, offering him a small smile as he presses a kiss against her lips.

"Yeah, I've just missed him," she nods, glancing at Chuck briefly. "We have some catching up to do."

"Well, there's time for that later, first you two need to meet with General Beckman."

Chuck grabs his bag, following the two out the exit to the waiting car. Shaw slides in first, Bela by his side as Chuck places his bag in the trunk with Shaw's before closing it, quickly sliding in next to her.

Chuck uncomfortably sits beside the two, watching as Shaw holds Bela's hand firmly in his, whispering in her ear every few minutes and causing her to smile. His mind went to Casey and he frowned, forcing himself to look away from the two in annoyance.

He knew Bela dated a lot in the past, but she'd been with Casey for _years_. They'd had an actual marriage. He couldn't bring himself to believe that she'd moved on so quickly, and with _Shaw_ of all people.

"We're here," Shaw says, pulling Chuck from his thoughts as they wait for him to exit the car. Chuck looks up startled.

"Right, yeah sorry," he mutters, climbing out and holding the door open for the two before grabbing his bag from the trunk.

"Are you ready?" Bela asks, shooting him a smile as he stares up at the building. "This is everything we've always wanted."

He nods, faking a smile for her before turning away. For something that he thought he wanted, it sure wasn't feeling like it.

* * *

A/N: Poor Chuck, he's a little conflicted at the moment. Sarah thinks he's changed, and he can't tell her or Bela the truth. Bela is being kept apart from Casey, but seems quite happy to be with Shaw. Please review!


End file.
